Philippians 3:13-14 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
Sometimes the things that hinder us from moving forward in our journey aren't always bad things. It is possible to become hostage to our past by trying to relive something that has come and gone. This can take the form of trying to relive past achievements, relationships, or defining moments in our lives.
We've all met people like this. In their office - in their wallet or purse - they have pictures or newspaper clippings of a past relationship or climactic moment in their lives. They speak of the past in the present tense, as if these events happened yesterday.
It is healthy to celebrate our past moments in life, but it is unhealthy to become stuck in a moment and miss the rest of life. Life is a motion picture not a snapshot. It is always moving and stands still for no one.
Those who have a snapshot perspective of life can be easily identified by their conversation. They always talk about the past and how things used to be, or they dwell on what someone did to them years ago. It's almost as if they stopped living once that moment transpired. Although they can easily recall in detail a particular moment in time that occurred years ago, they cannot clearly articulate their plans for the future.
Often, people who develop a snapshot perspective of life lose their identity in the event or situation. They define who they are by that moment in time instead of who they are as a person. I know a man that was a very successful in drag racing 25+ years ago. If you talk with him very long, it always comes back to the wins and his accomplishments back then. In the eyes of many, this man was defined by a moment that had come and gone. When I ask this gentlemen what he is doing now, he almost seems ashamed of his station in life. He has friends and is still active, but in his eyes and those he associates with, his current life does not compare to his former moment of glory.
I've seen the same thing happen to people who have physical handicaps, been abused, divorced, incarcerated, unhealthy marriages, and homeless. They've allowed their circumstances or an event to define and prescribe what their expectations in life can or should be. You are more than a moment! You are a motion picture that is not defined by a snapshot or one frame of the picture. If you refuse to allow your past to define your future, you will discover that life has much more to offer you than a memory. Get a new perspective and faith step into the new things God has for your life!
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perry meade
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