Where in the World is My Joy? #10
Joy is Found Looking Forward
Many times, the memories of yesterday in our lives take the joy out of today. We often spend a lot of our time looking backwards. We live with bad choices, words and experiences that can haunt us at times. Paul understood this maybe more than we do. He had hunted believers and had them tried and jailed or even stoned to death. When he thought of the past, he remembered his worst days as a man. That is why he writes about finding joy in looking forward.
Joy is in Moving Forward Not in Relaxing
I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. Philippians 3:12 (NCV)
Paul realizes that there is a goal that God has for each one of us. We can work towards becoming who God created us to become. Paul found joy in not being there yet. It means that when we fall short of that goal, we get another chance to try again. Let’s be honest none of us are completely who God wants us to be. We have those days where we just fall short of his dream. So how can we find joy in not being at the goal? That means we can still change and grow every day. Plus, we need to take a breath and remember we will be as God wants us to be when we are dead. Until then we need to keep looking forward to the goal that God has for us.
When I Let Past Regrets Go It Makes Room for Joy to Grow
Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, Philippians 3:13 (NCV)
Have you ever noticed in your car that the windshield is so much bigger than the rear-view mirror. It is because you are not supposed to use the rear-view mirror to go forward. We look out the windshield to move forward. Staring at the rear-view mirror can not only crash our car, but our life as well. That is why we need to learn to let go of our past regrets, to learn from them and let them stay behind us. After all if we keep looking at the past it steals the joy from today and the hope of what tomorrow holds for us. Life is hard enough without carrying yesterday’s troubles. Letting them go makes room for joy.
Find Joy in Small Victories and Grow Each Day
I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above. Philippians 3:14 (NCV)
In our world today we have been led to believe that success is only a moment away. Everyone posts about their best days and victories. We need to remember that each major victory is just a culmination of small victories won each day. Once again, we need to remember that. Our progress can bring us joy because it is progress. It does not matter if we do not make a big jump. When I coach basketball, I tell my players that each day they should strive to improve 1%. That may not seem like much, but by the end of the season they can see a notable difference in how they play. If we can just gain that 1% each day in our Christian life, we will be amazed when we look back after a year and then move forward to the next 1%.
The past is the past. We cannot go back and change any of it. So, we are much wiser if we concentrate on the future to find joy. Looking back is not always wrong, but it is when you look back and lose the joy you have today. Joy is ours today and we can look forward to what God is going to accomplish in our lives. Joy is ours when we look forward and let yesterday stay in the past.