Moving Forward

     Focusing on self and all of its flaws only leads to discouragement. One cannot undo past sins even if they happened only five minutes ago. But also, if  believer’s actions, words, thoughts and deeds,are holy and righteous should we get the credit for them?  Only God deserves the glory, because it is He who empowers us to perform any good thing. And conversely, anything which is done for His Kingdom in our own puny power is useless.

     When the believer’s actions, words, thoughts and deeds are bad, when we blow it and grieve the Lord should we wallow in, or dwell on our failures? Does it help for one moment to stew in self-condemnation or judgement from others? The answer lies within a certain question.

     The question is; what is the difference, in the life of a believer, between conviction and condemnation? Conviction is from Christ. It is quick and clean and specific. He uses it precisely to tell you what you have done wrong. There is no guessing; only your decision about what you will do with it. Conviction leads to repentance, grace and forgiveness. It moves us forward, forgetting the past and pressing on.

     Condemnation is from the enemy. It is false and vague and leaves us uneasy and unable to name exactly why we feel the way we do….we just know we feel ‘bad’. It keeps us perpetually feeling guilty. Wallowing in remorse, wishing to go back and retrieve the irretrievable. If you cannot name a specific action you feel guilty about, but only a vague troubling ‘badness’ which you find yourself mulling over endlessly, that is condemnation.

     We cannot ever reclaim the wasted moment, nor can we ever hope to make ourselves and our actions always understood by those around us. More importantly it is NOT our job to try to make others understand or accept us. God always moves us forward. Only we, and the enemy, keep ourselves stuck.

     The Lord gives us a fresh start with every beat of our hearts. Our Eternal Creator is ever fresh and new. The Apostle Paul said “Brothers I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14. God always seeks to keep us moving, never dwelling on actions, words thoughts and deeds already done, whether good or bad.

    To witness a good thing done, either through ourselves or to see the blessings flowing from others causes us to rejoice when we know it all comes from God’s hand. However; it is both foolish and dangerous to sit on our laurels in self-congratulation, or to over dwell on others in admiration. Where did the shining deed come from? It always originates in the good heart and hand of our Father.

     To witness a bad thing, either done to us, or by us, or to a loved one is painful. To know we’ve been the cause of it is searing. God asks us not to sit too long here either. If we do; we find that the light has faded and we are sitting in shadow.

     Did I wander off the path? If so, should I go back and try to retrace my steps, agonizing over ever thoughtless, painful move? No! The Miracle is that God keeps the path ever before us. Did you step off? To repent and trust His leading is to find yourself instantly back on that beautiful road. How amazing is His mercy. Sometimes we move through the sunlight, sometimes the shadow, but we are pilgrims on a journey home. We keep moving forward.

Tonya Willman ©2010