It would seem that I'm not the only Christian to live in dread of some events in life. I admit that dread isn't something Jesus wants us to do and also acknowledge that he was tempted to dread the Cross. Being overcomers is more difficult than it seems. Why? Because we bring the past with us to the present in preparation for our future. It's silly but that's the way it works. Rather than being present in the day and focused on the future we look to the past with either fond memories or not so fond memories. I've often wondered why people have class reunions, family reunions, and church reunions. Perhaps you have participated in one of these and asked yourself that very question AFTER you attended. Jesus talked about one reunion... believers gathered in Heaven. That should give us a clue. Rather than dreading so and so's story again and again, perhaps it would be better to skip the past and stay in the present. For me, reunions were a test where my worth, place in society and success was examined, weighed out and judgment was pronounced either positively or negatively. That depended on whether those doing so felt good about themselves or not. Jealousy rises to the top like cream on milk. The competition of who did this and who failed at that becomes the focus to put so and so in their place...usually behind the person making the judgment. So we dread these events like some of the holidays celebrated in our country.
If you are thinking that I'm going to suggest we abandon our family and friends you would be wrong. If you are thinking that we ignore the get together and be "busy" with something else you would also be wrong. Neither of those choices reflect the love of God in our lives. Facing the situation head on with a Christian focus seems the best. That way we don't have to lie (I have to work, the kids are sick, the car isn't capable of making the trip and etc...), or pretend (it's so good to see you, I'm glad you are here, you look like you have lost weight/gained weight, are you still in treatment?). Okay, the skeletons come out of the closet when we are with those who are familiar with our past. At one such class reunion I attended I ran into just this problem. I had spent 10 years in the military, 8 years as a police officer and was currently pastoring a church when the father of a classmate came up to my son and I eating lunch. He said, "Well, what jail are you out of now?!" I've never been in jail except to put my prisoners there. My son gave me this look like what are you hiding. The man laughed and walked off. Have you ever been to a family reunion and been reminded of your birth order, that awful thing you did, or how you failed at this or that? Guess what!? Jesus doesn't do any of those things!
It's not productive to go back. The Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt. Didn't they remember those last 400 years? People want me to go back to the where I was then. Satan wants us trapped by the past. Hence the need for present and future focus when we approach any event where we are tempted to be focused on the past. Reminded of your last years failure at work? Reminded at your bad decision at home, work, church, school? Then you need to be free from the reminders. Yes, our past happened. No, we don't need the reminders in order to keep history from repeating itself. What we do need is the renewal of life daily through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. When someone reminds us of our past we need to remind them of our future. Yes, I broke 9 of the 10 commandments. BUT I will breathe my last breath out here on earth and the next one will be an inhale in Heaven. Not living in the past frees us up to live in the present and bring Jesus to the world around us. It's a world that needs to be freed from their past. The forgiveness of sins and the realization people are loved is the goal of the Cross. If people are so tied up in the past that they can't see the present and future (I'm talking about Christians) they are in no way able to help anyone be anything like them.
Choosing to be like Jesus doesn't mean we need to be born of a virgin, at the age of 12 to be found teaching in the temple and then as an adult selecting 12 people to follow us. Choosing to be like Jesus means to let the past go, focus on the future and deliver the Gospel so that all of mankind can have the information necessary to be saved. If we are stuck in the past we can't engage the present or the future. If we teach this to our children we aren't doing them any favors. If enough people do the wrong thing long enough they become accustomed to doing that thing and believing it's right. The truth is if we daily die to self and give our lives to Jesus, He renews us daily to bring HIM to the world. Your choice is to decide whether you will be an excuse or be an example. It's your choice. People are watching. You are the only Gospel some people will ever read. Choose wisely.
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