Have you ever used the phrase “You’ll always be looking over your shoulder” or some variation of that? We might hear it on a TV show or movie, for example, when someone has done something wrong and thought they might have gotten away with it. But their guilt or conscience has them always looking over their shoulder. Did you wonder if Cain kept looking over his shoulder after he killed Abel? We could also use it when referring to a past sin.  We wonder who might remember or who might pop up to remind us.

We are often haunted by our past. I was speaking with a couple people recently and we talked about the effect of their past on their present and future situations. How it affects us in our responses to others, our children, our spouses, our co-workers. I read an interesting quote today:

All persons must learn before they die what they are running from and what they are running to, and why. (James Thurber)

As I just said, our thoughts and actions in the present are shaped by something in our past. Good and bad. Standards set too high by our parents or an adult. Abuse of some kind. False accusations. Wasted potential. Immoral life. Insecurity. A regrettable action. Good choices. Saying no to drugs and sex. Studying hard. The list is endless for both.

The past is just that, the past. We also need to figure out what we’re running to. We have to ask ourselves what our pursuit in life will be. Will it be fortune and fame? Will it be to beat out my competition? Or will it be to pursue that which really matters…and the One who really matters…Jesus.

The past is the past. We can’t change it. We can keep looking over our shoulder with regret or with the feeling of running, OR we can look straight ahead with our eyes locked onto Jesus. Seems to me the latter leads to a much straighter path.

“Father, I need to remember my past only in that it shows me what I once was. I need to look straight forward at the One who calls me to walk with Him.”