Looking Forward

Philippians 3:12-14,"12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,^d but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."

Our Father wants us to keep looking forward in life. He doesn't want us to dwell on things of the past. We are advised to forgive others as well as ourselves. He wants us to keep our eyes on the prize and striving to be more like Jesus. The above versus I think captures the essence of what our Father is trying to tell us. We will never be perfect but our goal is to strive for perfection and without moving on from our past we cannot be happy moving forward. Sometimes to move forward we are required to address hard issues we do not want to examine, yet there isn't an alternative, as the Law of God is clear. So we must dig deep and look up to find the inner strength and help to accomplish the following.

God instructs us to forgive others without question throughout the scriptures (Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you [attitude: forgive because you love the Lord]). He says if we don't then we will be judged accordingly. If you want the blessings of the Lord, then turn to him, give him your problems, ask for His forgiveness and grant forgiveness to others, then follow Gods laws. This is not a choice for the faithful, its a requirement. If we cannot get over our own selfishness of harboring ill will towards others, God will withhold his Blessings until we allow him to work in us to forgive those who may not deserve it in our eyes, yet they do from Gods perspective (Matthew 5:22-24 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council;). He does not say forget, just forgive and turn all the pain and doubts over to Him so he may heal you. Then and only then will God fulfill his promises to us.

We must also forgive ourselves, as this will also keep us from looking forward. 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." This scripture reminds us that we are new (forgiven) therefore we must look within ourselves, the same as God sees us. Once we have accomplished this, God can begin to work His blessings in our lives. This is probably the hardest portion of forgiving to follow. We will think how can we be worthy or our cross we bear is ours alone and surely God wouldn't want us. Yet He does, just ask Him to lift these burdens, to meet you halfway in giving you back your self worth and He will. We must be vigilant in working towards this goal and reap the reward of success.

Unforgiveness of any kind (holding onto offense, anger, hate, etc..), whether towards others or ourselves, is a slow moving cancer that will effect every area of our life and those lives around us. I spoke with someone tonight that has let this infect every portion of their existence. They failed to see this about themselves until it was pointed out by a fellow Christian. It was as if a light switch went on and immediately it was clear why their life was so challenging. Struggling with personal and professional relationships, lack of sleep, health issues, etc.. This cancer was slowly rotting this person from the inside out. God will heal this person if they take strides and stretch to Him as I think they will. I have been there and it is not easy, but I promise it is worth every bit of the struggle to release it to God. My eyes are so clear now as well as my heart wide open to those around me including those most important, my wife and family. It is so humbling to go through this.

Colossians 3:13, "Make allowance for each others faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." This says it all in one scripture, forgive others as God has forgiven us. This includes forgiving ourselves. There are many more versus all echoing the same message throughout the scriptures. Remember, unforgiveness leads to anger, hate, frustration and death, while forgiveness leads to salvation, healing, restoration and life. Which are you? I challenge each and every one of you to  look deep inside. Pray for God to reveal your true inner feelings. Have our Lord show you what you need to work on. I do this constantly as well as implement changes in myself to become more Christ like. It really is that simple. Do not wait, do it now before the cancer effects your life. You will be happy you did in more ways then one and you and your Loved ones deserve it.

Lets Pray: Father God, please forgive us for our sins and Father allow us to see inside ourselves so that we may not only find the strength to forgive others, but also forgive ourselves. Lord we know your scriptures tells us that we cannot receive your forgiveness until we have do so ourselves. Therefore we must look past our selfish ways and follow in the path of our Savior Jesus Christ, who forgave Judas for his ultimate betrayal. He forgave all who denied and betrayed Him. We can do this and mend our relationships and Father we know you can give us the strength and wisdom to accomplish this Lord. Father help us find that Love once again and in You Lord we can begin to look forward towards the finish line once more. We ask all this in the sweet name of Jesus...AMEN.