Don't Live Looking Back
OPENING PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, may we come together in you and focus on your plan for our lives. Amen
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25 NLT
REFLECT:
We tend to spend a lot of time living our lives looking through the rear-view mirror. Things can look a lot rosier looking back but driving while only looking through the rear-view mirror is sure to have a bad outcome. Recently we started meeting with some of our old baseball friends. It was awesome to reconnect and reminisce of the good old days. I found it interesting that each of the guys remembered events very differently. It was amusing that we all had completely different memories of some of the same events. Even my spouse and I have varying memories of the past.
APPLY:
As we join with others, we all come with differing pasts. When we bring our focus on Christ’s future, we can be united and in weekly communion we are reminded to watch for Christ’s return. The past is a good teacher we can learn from, but we cannot live there. Titus implores us to look forward to his appearing. When we realign our focus on God’s future, it will cause us to become closer to each other. “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and Godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us” (Titus 3:11-14a NIV). Don't let yesterday take up too much of today.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, grant us your peace in our lives, our families, our churches, our country, our world. Amen