Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not regard myself as
having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and
reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ.
Have you ever noticed there is never a shortage of folks
telling you what you could have done
differently or what they would have
done in your situation or the real biggie, what you should have done or said? Once you’ve said something, it is not
helpful or insightful or even relevant to be told what you should have said…it is too late, that horse has left the barn. Yet,
there will always be someone there to share their wisdom and clever comebacks
you could have used if you had
benefit of what they would have said
and then you would have said what you
should have said. Confused yet?
What, you may be asking, has taken me down this road this
morning. In life we come to crossroads many times. It may be on a tiny path,
like choosing to eat the healthy meal instead of having ice cream for dinner
(like I wanted last night). Or it may be a crossroad that changes the direction
of your whole life. The major crossroads certainly don’t come as often but
their impact is profound.
Typically, we stand in the intersection of the crossroad looking
in three directions to see if we can tell what lies ahead, which is our best
option, where the speed bumps are and wonder how they might surprise us. Some
folks get hung up on looking back at the road they have already traveled and
long to stay there, afraid to move on, emotionally snagged in the thicket of ‘if
only’.
I am at one of those major crossroads of life. I, personally,
wish I had a Post Card from Heaven with directions for my life. Or one of those
street sign markers that indicate what lies ahead. Or a map in the middle of
the intersection…yeah, that is an awesome idea. All I know for sure is that God
has a plan for my life and somewhere along the way He will tap me on the
shoulder so I know when and where I am to turn. The scripture above says, forgetting what
lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. Makes it clear
I am not to waste time looking back at past decisions and directions. I press on
toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ. I
am to stay focused on Jesus Christ and not my own plans. Or the plans of those
well-meaning people with their coulds, woulds, and shoulds.
Look at what I found in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary:
Definition of COULD - past of can
Definition of WOULD - past of will
Definition of SHOULD - past of shall
Um hmmmmmm….’nuff said.
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