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. — Philippians 3:13
Several years ago, there was an interesting commercial that the Swiffer company had. Swiffer was just coming onto the market as a mop and broom replacement and has since flourished into a large company. I remember the commercial where a shopper found Swiffer in the store with a worker nearby.
The worker says something about Swiffer having a money-back guarantee. Then she looks at the shopper and says something along the lines of “But trust me, you’ll never go back.” The commercial continued on, but that was the part of the commercial that caught my attention and stuck with me.
The commercial was clear in suggesting that once you tried Swiffer, you wouldn’t have a need for your mop and broom again. You would simply be able to throw those products aside and never look back. Sure, you might remember the days that you used that mop and broom, but never again would you need them now that you have Swiffer.
A similar situation has happened in the life of all Christians. We could all sit around and dwell on our past. We were all sinners. All of us can talk about the horrible things we have done, terrible decisions we have made, or the countless ways we have no doubt been a disappointment. But we don’t have to.
We are able to focus on the things that are before us because of the change that took place in our lives. We are no longer what we used to be. Through salvation, we are changed. We will never go back to what we once were. A permanent change has taken place!
So don’t dwell on the past and the things you used to be. There’s nothing wrong with remembering where God brought you from. But God does not expect you to live in the past. Instead, He wants you focused on the future and how you can serve Him. Your past is your past, and you never have to go back there!
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