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Don’t Look Back! - Part 1

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

Here are a few things to consider as we enter into a new year. Satan is in the business of selling rear-view mirrors. In fact, he’ll give you one and install it for free!

Winston Churchill once said, "If the present is quarreling with your past, there can be no future."

The devil knows this so well. Getting us to look back is one of Satan’s most effective devices. He stops us from serving in the present by rattling the skeletons from the closet of our past. We can all agree that we have a past, but we do not have to live in the past. 

  1. Some look back and find they are content with yesterday’s successes.

There are two ways to look at yesterday's success. First of all, we can look at our earthly success. As we look back on 2024 and our “success,” we can be proud of our accomplishments. Maybe you were promoted, maybe you lost the weight that you wanted to lose, you hit your fitness goal for 2024, your financial goal, etc. Whatever it may be, give yourself a pat on the back, BUT understand that was last year. If we constantly look back and are content with our accomplishments in 2024, then we will become stagnant and do no more in 2025. 

Second, we can look at our past spiritual success. In all honesty, this one is the most important. As a pastor, on the last Sunday of 2024, we looked at what God had done for us through the past year. Souls saved, people added to the church, what we had given to world missions, our regular finances, etc. 2024 was by far the most “successful” year we have had in the 18 years I have pastored Amazing Grace. But if we become complacent and continually talk about yesterday's success then our church will dry up!

As we enter this New Year, let’s not focus on yesterday’s earthly or spiritual success. May we determine in 2025, more than anything, that our relationship with Christ will strengthen, and we will keep our focus on Him making us into what He would have us to be.