Once we’re caught prior to now, we are typically ruled by custom. We adhere to what have been referred to as the well-known final seven phrases of the church, — “however we’ve all the time performed it this fashion”. Previous hurts or errors also can preserve us caught. Possibly we had a foul church expertise and don’t wish to get harm once more. Maybe we made errors and really feel disqualified to go on.
The Drawback with Being Caught within the Previous
Custom isn’t mistaken in and of itself. All through Scripture we learn of God establishing varied choices and festivities for His folks as a reminder of His work of their lives. The issue comes once we can’t see previous our traditions they usually grow to be an finish in themselves. Too usually we then merely undergo the motions moderately than experiencing the truth and abundance of life Jesus got here to offer us. What labored prior to now is probably not God’s path for the current. Caught in the best way we’ve all the time performed it, we might discover it laborious to see how one thing else might work higher. We’ll be fast to throw up the crimson flags — “however we’ve by no means performed it that method” — and halt progress.
Errors, even apparent sin, don’t must outline us for “there’s now no condemnation for many who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). “If we confess our sins, he’s devoted and simply and can forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn. 1:9) Consider the folks in Scripture with tainted previous whom God used nonetheless. Once we let our previous preserve us from urgent on, it’s like saying the work of Christ on the cross wasn’t sufficient.
What It Takes to Get Unstuck
Earlier than changing into a follower of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Saul on the time, was steeped in Jewish traditions, a lot in order that he actively persecuted Jesus’ disciples. As a follower of Jesus, nevertheless, he stated, “Forgetting what’s behind and straining towards what’s forward, I press on …” (Phil. 3:13-14). He wasn’t about to let the previous maintain him again … neither the recurring consolation of custom or the guilt of how he handled Christians. We will study from his instance.
We should first ask this query: Is our want to “press on to grasp that for which Christ Jesus took maintain” of us (Phil. 3:12) stronger than our want to carry on to the previous? In that case, then we have to be prepared to do two issues so we’re not caught prior to now.
1) We should neglect what’s behind, each the nice and the unhealthy. That doesn’t essentially imply we obliterate it from our reminiscence. Fairly, we don’t maintain onto it, nurturing our hurts or accomplishments to the extent that they preserve us from urgent on.
2) We pressure towards what’s forward. Simply as bodily stretching could also be a bit uncomfortable however in the long run develops stronger muscle tissues, so once we “press on to grasp that for which Christ Jesus took maintain” of us (Phil. 3:12), God develops inside us the power we have to go the following mile, after which the following.
