Your Past

Don’t gloss over your past. Your past can be a great teacher if you let it. Gordon MacDonald wrote, “If your yesterdays are in a state of good repair, they provide strength for today. If not repaired, they create havoc.”

Most of us respond to our past in one of two ways, which are both inadequate. We either ignore our past or we let it own us. Neither approach is healthy. In every car, there is a huge windshield and a small rearview mirror. That way, we can make our future our main focus, while occasionally glancing back.

Paul suggested:

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2).

To stay in a healthy place, we need to look up and we need to look forward, while occasionally glancing back. Learn from your past, but don’t live there.

Recovery Step: Learn from your past, then move on.