LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD Part 1 Limitations and Baggage By Rayola Kelley

It is that time of the year when we have a choice to look back at what was so. Many make some type of resolution to change, direct, or complete an aspect of their life that they are unhappy, unsatisfied or frustrated with. Since it is a new year, they start out of the gate with high expectations that they will not falter, give out, or fail to finish the course. My question is, as they run around the track in the same lane as before, how many obstacles from their past races will they encounter because they failed to learn what it means to run the race. Hebrews 12:1 deals with this very subject. It speaks of setting those things aside that hinder us in our race.

We are in the race of a lifetime. Preparation to endure is a big part of the race, but the other part is the resolve to see it through to the end. Having resolve and making resolutions are two different things. We must resolve to be wise in the race, while taking every opportunity to learn what we must do to endure it.

One of the lessons I have learned is that I can’t go forward until I honestly face the baggage of the past I am still carrying. If we have not let go of that which hinders us, we need to look back and evaluate our life. I get it! There are some who care not to look backwards for good reasons. The Bible tells us not to look back in Luke 9:62, but that has to do with longing for what is clearly behind us and has been judged such as the case of Lot’s wife and Sodom. To “long” for what is already judged and gone, is to miss what is happening today. If God is in the situation, open doors or opportunities can only be found in the moment it appears and not after it has been ignored or passed by. It is for this reason salvation is a matter of today and not the future (Luke 17:32; 2 Corinthians 6:2).

There are those like me who look back to consider the lessons they have learned. For me I want to honestly examine what the Lord was teaching me through many of my experiences in the past year. I know that due to my pigheadedness I can be very dense when it comes to learning valuable lessons. Since I am honest about the beam in my eye, I try to note the different lessons to avoid stepping into traps of lust, being dragged down into whirlpools of despair, or sinking in the quicksand of foolishness. After all, life is a good teacher and the world a tough classroom that will test us in every way possible (Matthew 7:1-5; 2 Corinthians 13:5).

For me, the walk of faith has entailed walking through darkness until the light of God’s truth penetrates and lights the terrain. Meanwhile, I have no concept as to what God is doing in me during the time of darkness brought on by trials and testing. It is as I look back at what God was doing during the trying of my faith, that I begin to understand His work and purpose for it. The lesson of faith often becomes a matter of hindsight.

My goal is to always take advantage of developing hindsight to glean from past experiences to establish that inner character that will be able to stand in the future when greater challenges come. For some, they are trying to discern the days they are living in. This requires them to consider all matters in light of Biblical prophecy. It is the way to somewhat prepare for what might come down the line. My question is, “Can we really prepare for what is obviously unknown to us?” The Bible is clear that the only real preparation we can do is spiritual, and that requires us to have enough oil of the Holy Spirit in us that when the bridegroom calls us, we can rise up and light our lamps in preparation of meeting Him (Matthew 25:1-13).

We are living in perilous times just as the Bible has warned (2 Timothy 3:1). However, the world has always seemed to be standing on the brink of destruction. Whether it be war, famine, persecution, or destruction of some type, through the generations the world has appeared to be close to tipping over into a state of oblivion.

Spiritual darkness has remained over this world since our first parents sinned in the garden of Eden. They handed the dominion given to them by God over to Satan who is now the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air. The difference now is that we can watch this spiritual darkness grip the whole world. We are beginning to see the prophetic come together because of technology. However, the key to withstanding and enduring any darkness comes down to the light we are walking in. Are we walking in the darkness of our understanding, the twilight of worldly knowledge, the dark shadows of man’s religion, or are we walking by faith in obedience to the light of Christ that is clearly outlined in Scripture? (Genesis 2:26; Matthew 6:22-23; 2 Corinthians 4:1-3; 5:7; Ephesians 2:2; 5:1-11)

The world is a garden, but like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Eden, its fruits are poisonous and much of it is barren, lifeless and wanting. Spiritual darkness has caused some to faint in their mind because it all seems so hopeless. As the darkness grows, so does the hopelessness that is felt by many in this world. Granted, they might not see the darkness because it is light to them and they are walking in it. Because the darkness is normal to them, they can’t fathom that spiritually they can’t see beyond their present life to even consider that eternity awaits (Genesis 2:9, 16-17; Matthew 24:10-12; Hebrews 12:3).

In a world that leaves many disillusioned, hopeless, and fearful, it is hard to see any light of hope that not just penetrates the darkness but will part it so one can clearly see the path before them. However, I am reminded as a believer that the light that guides each of us through the darkness only lights the path and not the terrain. Clearly, we are not meant to see the terrain; rather, we are meant to walk in the path by faith, obeying what we know is true. Each step of obedience to the Lord and His Word is what lights the next step we are to take (Psalm 119:105).

Some see the new year as providing new opportunities on the horizon. I am edging towards my 71st year, and even though I have watched many “New Years” come in with much fanfare, I have never seen the horizon before me change. Perhaps it has to do with age. As a believer I realized that each new year begins with just another day. The sunlight on that day falls on the same terrain with no real change being apparent. But what I can trust is that every day God provides new mercies and compassions to enable me to walk through the day with assurance that the Lord has me in His hand. The changes for believers are often inward and not outward. They are subtle, made possible by a loving, gentle touch from above. Call it maturity, refinement, sobriety, or wisdom, but it is life-changing (Ecclesiastes 1:9; John 10:28-29; Ephesians 5:23-24).

The younger you are as an adult, the more you tend to enter the new year with much enthusiasm because you are unaware that strength, no matter how old you are, quickly ebbs away with the uncontrollable tides of events. As you get older, you become more aware that you are limited in different ways and if you learn a greater dependency on the Lord, you become a wiser soul for it.

This once again brings me back to my original point that I have learned. You can’t effectively go forward until you get rid of the baggage of the past. Much of the baggage that weighs us down represents sins that have not been honestly confronted. Sin must be dealt with and the only place you can let that baggage go is at the foot of the cross of Christ. Genuine faith not only allows you to trust God with saving your soul, but it allows you to believe that all your confessed sins are no more. You stand justified in Him and before Him. Like David, we must sometimes ask the Lord to put a searchlight in our soul to reveal any wicked way in us because we can be blinded by our own so-called decency, goodness, and honesty (Psalm 139:23-24; Romans 4:2-9).

Another element from the past that serves as baggage is the many different frustrations of life. These frustrations are caused by limitations. I must be prepared to accept the different limitations that come along in my life each year. These limitations often cause me to slide into the pattern of worrying about the outcome which pushes me to try to orchestrate the matters of life in some way. Such attempts end in failure, frustration, and regrets. It may take a bit before the unpleasant fruit of it shows up but I have discovered that my fleshly attempts have often left irreversible results behind. These results are like a rushing river that can’t be contained, and it leaves debris and desolation behind.

This brings me to unresolved issues that can also turn into regrets. Regrets are a matter of missed opportunities. We tend to ignore responsibilities, challenges, and the testing of our character and faith. We avoid what is unpleasant to our pride, uncomfortable to our ways, and embarrassing to our psyche. Since we avoid facing the troubled waves that are on the horizon to withstand them with truth and in good faith, we create a tsunami that devastates not only our life but others. Regrets are avoided by doing right, guilt is avoided by being in a right state, and despair is prevented by getting past self, and establish what is right to ensure one’s testimony.

The other lesson that walks hand in hand with the previous discovery about limitations is I must accept that I can’t change the world, the people in my world, or the outcome. It is hard to accept something as is, but if I do, I have learned I can leave those matters that greatly hurt, trouble, or cause despair in my heart to the Lord. Granted, I am often tempted to jump right in the middle of something to persuade, contend, or try to awake someone to the destructive results down the line, but people will only see what they want to see. The truth is people are not prepared to see the truth or reality of a matter. They have been allowed to live in an artificial world of fantasy, wishful thinking, and technology, a world they can change to fit their narrative even if it is void of sanity.

To simply accept what is so is something that requires self-denial to see life on my terms and great resolve to step back and let God be God. I must allow myself to move with the flow of what is happening instead of ignoring, denying or fighting against it. Once I can accept the reality of a matter, I can also begin to relax and enjoy the many gifts that God can afford those who simply trust His sovereignty, rest in His power, and be assured of a righteous outcome because of His love and grace.

Next month I will continue this theme. Meanwhile may this New Year not start out with new resolutions, but rather, making sure there is no excess baggage from yesteryear hindering you from going forward and finishing the course.