As we come to the close of one year and the beginning of a new one, we often take time both to reflect on the past year, as well as consider what may lie ahead in the year to come. These are appropriate things for us to do, but it is important that we approach them from a Biblical perspective.

Looking back should cause us, first of all, to stop and give thanks.
James wrote, "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17). Every good thing we've enjoyed in the past came from God, and we owe Him our thanks for the things He's done for us. Paul exhorted us, "always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father" (Ephesians 5:20).

More than just offering a blanket expression of thanks for everything, it's important to look back and be able to "count your many blessings, name them one by one," as we sometimes sing. And let us not simply focus on thanking God for the temporal blessings of life, but also for all of the spiritual blessings that are afforded us in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). One of those spiritual blessings for which Paul was most thankful was the encouragement, support, and strength he received from his brethren. I'm impressed by the number of times Paul expressed such thanksgiving in his epistles (Romans 1:8-10; 1 Corinthians 1:4; Ephesians 1:15-16; Philippians 1:3-5; Colossians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1 2-3; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Timothy 1:3; Philemon 4). We have so much for which to be thankful!

Don't live in the past.
Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:10, "Do not say, 'Why is it that the former days were better than these?' For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this." We often like to talk about the good old days and how great life was way back when. Many times, we delude ourselves regarding the greatness of the remembered times gone by and we don't want to let them go. Under inspiration, Solomon reminded us that, it's "not from wisdom" to always long for "the former days." We especially must not look back to what we used to enjoy when we lived in sin, apart from Christ. In Philippians 3:13, Paul said that, with regard to his former manner of life, he was continually "forgetting what lies behind." We are not "fit for the kingdom of God," if we continue to look back to the "passing pleasures of sin" in which we once engaged (Luke 9:62; Hebrews 11:25; cf. 1 Peter 4:2-3). When we live in the past, we neglect the opportunities that present themselves to us each day (Colossians 4:5; Ephesians 5:15-16; cf. John 4:35).

Learn from your mistakes.
We can't afford to keep repeating the same foolish, sinful decisions we've made in the past. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 26:11, "Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly." If you've made a mess of some aspect in your life, why continue to do (or fail to do) the thing that got you into the messy situation? Someone has said that the definition of insanity is repeating the same actions but expecting different results. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, "... go your way. From now on sin no more." (John 8:11; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:34) On the other hand, we can't afford to continue beating ourselves up over past mistakes. If we have truly repented (2 Corinthians 7:9-11), then we need to let go of our guilt, and the self-pity that so often accompanies it, and trust in the complete forgiveness afforded us in Christ. If God has forgiven us (cf. Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14), then shouldn't we forgive ourselves?

Remember where you were without Christ.
We should never forget where we were before we obeyed the gospel and what it took for our sins to be forgiven. "Therefore remember ... that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:11-14; cf. 1 Peter 1:22). To forget is to jeopardize "entrance into the eternal kingdom" and a future home in heaven (2 Peter 1:9-11) Paul never forgot what he had been and what he did before he obeyed the gospel (1 Timothy 1:12-16; Acts 22:4; 26:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; Philippians 3:6). Yet, he didn't allow his past to haunt him; rather, he used it to motivate him to serve and labor more diligently for the Lord (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:10).

Dealing with wrongs and injustices.
Sometimes, life treats us unfairly; and sometimes, others mistreat and wrong us. What do we do when that happens? One of the problems in the church at Corinth was that some brethren had wronged and defrauded other brethren (1 Corinthians 6:1-8). Those who had been wronged were taking their brethren who wronged them to court because of it. Paul admonished them, saying that there should be a fellow Christian with enough wisdom to decide the matter (1 Corinthians 6:5). Then he further rebuked them by adding, "Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?" (1 Corinthians 6:7-8) We need to learn to let some things go, even if we've been treated unfairly. This is part of what's involved in Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:39-41; we often describe it as turning the other cheek. Some people are unable to get past the wrongs and injustices done to them, and they allow them to consume them throughout the rest of their lives. We must never forget the example of Jesus who suffered for nothing He did wrong; yet, "while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Peter 2:23).

Jesus dealt with the injustice He suffered by keeping His mind set on the things above (Colossians 3:1-2) and focusing on the joy that awaited Him when He returned to His Father (Hebrews 12:2). As we reflect on the past, let us not be consumed with those who have wronged us, but by our love and devotion to Him who "loved me, and delivered Himself up for me" (Galatians 2:20).

We can never change our past, but we can change what we do in the present. In a future article, we'll address "What Lies Ahead."

Brother Simmons has reminded us of an often-forgotten Biblical principle-learn from the past--that much of the time, doesn't benefit us as God had hoped it would. "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." (Romans 15:4) Why do we study the lessons from the past? Looking back over the Old-Testament history of God's chosen people, Israel, we can learn many valuable lessons. Following is a small sampling...

Don't change God's word.
"Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. And Moses said to Aaron, 'This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' So Aaron held his peace." (Leviticus 10:1-3) The fire offered by God's priests was not the fire He had commanded, so they died before Him. God doesn't mince words; He says exactly what He means.

Following part of God's instructions is not good enough.
"Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, 'Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.' But Samuel said, 'What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?' And Saul said, 'They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.'" (1 Samuel 15:13-15) God called Saul's behavior rebellion and disobedience-it cost him the kingdom! Human reasoning doesn't change God's commands. He demands that we follow His instructions to the letter. Remember the example of Noah building the ark (Genesis 6:22).

We could list many other examples of disobedience among God's people in the Old Testament. But, we need only to remember that Israel's disobedience led to her downfall. Eventually, both Israel and Judah fell away, and God punished them in captivity. Dear readers, learn the lessons of the past, and don't repeat them to your own destruction. (KMG)