The past can be a sneaky thing, can’t it? The minute you think you’ve dealt with everything, it comes creeping back in…reminding you of your failures…threatening to take you down again.
But then you remember that You serve a God who says that He casts your sin as far as the east is from the west and that He is there to give you a good and prosperous future. Once you’ve repented of your sin, you don’t need to live in the past anymore. In fact, it’s time to burn that bridge once and for all.
The apostle Paul knew what it was like to live with a past that was less than stellar. There were many things that he participated in that were cringe-worthy, but instead of dwelling on them, he resolved to fasten his heart to the future instead.
Paul tells us exactly how to burn those bridges in Philippians 3:12:
I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead.
First, we light the match not in our own strength, but in God’s never-ending strength. Then as we set fire to the past, we intentionally turn our eyes away from the blaze. It’s then that we know turning back to our old ways would be a waste of time and energy. After all, that bridge is completely burned down. It’s time to focus elsewhere.
So we fix our eyes on the brightness of the future that lies ahead and with every step we take the burn of the past becomes a distant memory. No more regrets. Our hearts are fastened to the Light.