Have you ever tried running backwards?

Usually it involves looking over your shoulder so that you don’t stumble, and are able to stay the course, which isn't easy. What's even harder is running backwards while focusing on your starting point instead of the ending point. Moving forward while focusing on where you were instead of where you are going is not efficient, and even dangerous.

The best way to attain a goal is to look forward so you can see where you're headed, and keep track of your progress, right?

As I'm writing this, I'm reminded of two stories I heard earlier this week…

The first I heard from a video interview of a man who was legally dead for 30 minutes, but was then sent back to earth to finish out his days. The second is the story of Lot and his family leaving Sodom and Gomorrah as it was being destroyed.

In the first story, this man watched himself leave his body, saw his doctor operating on his hand, and ended up in Heaven in an open field where he watched his whole life play out before his eyes. He knew that there was someone with him, but he could not see the other person, and this person made it clear that he must not look back.

In the end, as much as he loved Heaven, the Lord said it was not his time, and sent him back to earth where he is still alive today. Throughout the interview, however, the man emphasized a number of times that he was instructed not to look back.

The second story can be found in Genesis 19 where Lot and his family are instructed by two angels to leave Sodom and Gomorrah before the two cities are destroyed.

After some delay, and coercion by the angels, Lot and his family finally leave town. The angels encourage them to run as fast as they can to the designated city of refuge, and that whatever they do, they must not look back. Lot’s wife eventually looks back and, as some of you may know, turns into a pillar of salt.

Yikes.

Here is my simple observation of how these stories apply to us today:

Reflecting on where you have been is okay, but focusing on the past does not support forward movement.

Jesus said we are the salt of the earth, and salt is best when it is spread throughout the whole meal, not when it’s sitting in a pile on your plate.

When Lot’s wife stopped moving toward her future and looked back, the salt of her life piled up in one place.

When you stop moving toward your goals for the future to focus on your past, you end up getting stuck there. And when your past hinders your momentum in this way, your salt isn't being spread evenly throughout your life. Instead, it stays in one moment of it, ultimately spoiling the whole thing because you aren’t living in the present.

Now, let me ask you this…

Have you ever gone a little overboard with your salt shaker when seasoning a meal?

I know I have.

All the delicious ingredients you used and the time you put into preparing that meal ends up going to waste because too much salt on anything tastes…well, terrible.

Spending all your time and energy focusing on the past has the same exact effect on our lives. Don’t let your life go to waste by focusing on what you wish you would have done ten years ago.

Instead, focus on what you can do to feel fulfilled today.

Focus on what you can do to love others well today.

Focus on what you can do to serve God well today.

Here’s what I'm getting at:

While your past can help shape your future, your new life in Christ does not have to look anything like your past if you focus on where He's leading you. God’s plan is a recipe for success for those who choose to follow Him.

Think of The Passion of Christ.

If we say we’re passionate about something, then we’re essentially deeming it something worth dying for (although, hopefully it doesn’t come to that). At the end of the day, if we’re passionate about pursuing a dream or a goal, it's worth enduring pain and suffering in order to achieve a greater reality for our lives.

Jesus modeled this perfectly in His life on earth and on the cross.

Because of His passion for us, our eternal reality is a life spent fully alive in Christ. It can start today, and according to the man's testimony above, life in Heaven is not about looking back either. God loves you and He is for you.

He is doing everything he can to get you to look toward your future, and while you are accountable for your past, Christ has covered that with His mercy so that you may boldly run toward the life He has for you.