No Fishing!

Have you ever tried to walk forward while looking backwards? Sounds dumb, right?  Well the funny thing is we do this more often than we think. We miss out on the things ahead of us because our eyes are so fixed on the things of the past.

We hold on to past relationships, past opportunities, and one thing i struggle with often: past failures.  I've found myself mentally beating myself up over bad decisions or missed opportunities off  of choices I did or didn't make. I often catch myself going over old history mapping out what I should have done differently, or what if I never went to that particular place at that particular time, etc.  Almost as if all that thinking is going to construct a time machine to take me back and change those things. Instead what it does is cause me to lose sight of all the things I learned from it and where God wants to take me.

A few months ago I was at a place in my life where  I couldn't accept the outcome of  a certain  situation.  I kept going back over it time and time again in my head trying to figure out what went wrong and if it was something I could have done differently, etc. I started praying about it and asking God for direction on how to deal with the situation until finally one day I stumbled across this scripture:

"Forget about what has happened. Don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present.  I am about to do something brand new...." -Isaiah 43:18-19

Umm I'd say God was pretty clear at that point! Lol There's a reason why some things should be left in the past.  A lot of times we can use past experiences as stepping stones for the next level in our lives...and when that happens it's an amazing feeling!   But sometimes, those other past experiences can be used as weights. For those whose past are more like setbacks then stepping stones, I really encourage you to get to know God more. As you began to know Him better, you'll discover that His love not only forgives, but it forgets.

"God takes our past and throws it into the sea of forgetfulness and puts up a sign that says 'No Fishing!'." -Anonymous

I love that, because it shows how much God doesn't care about your past mistakes or your past failures. He literally forgets them.  Because He loves us that much. So if God who is mere perfection can get over the fact that you've messed up then you need to get over yourself too!

I'll say it again, you can't move forward while looking backwards. Stop clinging on to the past and start getting  in tune with the new direction God wants to take you.
Stop fishing in the sea of your past. Stop catching past problems and past setbacks.  Some things just aren't worth bringing back.  Allow God to do a new thing in your life.

I no longer have my eyes on what has already happened, but I now have them fixed on the great things ahead.  So glad I put up my "No Fishing" sign, and I encourage you to put yours up too. :)


-Leah

Bible Study:

Isaiah 43:18-19
Philippians 3:13-16