A church for the whole family! 1 Garnett Road East Maitland. Services 9:30 every Sunday.

One thing that we all wrestle with is the power of the past to hold us back from what we are called to do in the present and the future.

The past can have power over us. It traps our thinking with two little words: “If only…” If only you finished that degree, if only you saved more, if only you didn’t break up with them… if only keeps our thinking trapped in the past.

The Apostle Paul struggled with this same issue. He lives a life as a missionary, planting churches, growing churches, then moving on to serve others. He struggled with things from the past, often describing them as a thorn in his side.

He struggled with the past and how it tried to hold him back. But Paul has a remedy in essence he says you need to know where your going, find new life and purpose in Jesus, and press forward in the power of new life.

Phillipians 4:10-14

¹⁰ I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, ¹¹ so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Pressing toward the Goal

¹² I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. ¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,^[a] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

1. Rid yourself of “if only” thinking with confession.

You might need to confess something to a brother or sister. It might be painful but it’s better that living trapped in past hurts or anxiety.

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16)

When you keep something inside it has power. When you speak it out and speak Jesus over it, you give God power to deal with it. Let it be swallowed up by resurrection power.

2. If the past keeps pressing on you, press on into God. Remind yourself of his forgiveness and that you have a fresh start in him everyday.

On the cross Jesus said “It is finished” and He meant it. God is not holding onto your sins. He remembers them no more. Press on by opening your Bible every morning. Press on by reading a devotional. Feed yourself Spiritual food and see how much energy you have to press on each day.

Memorise a passage of Scripture that reminds you of the promise of God. Speak that into your “if onlys”.

3. Remind yourself each day about the future God has for you.

Forgetting what is past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to the heavenly prize which God is calling us too.

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Eph 2:10)