Monday, July 1, 2013

Objects in the rear-view mirror may appear closer than they are...


This past week I loaded into a mid-sized SUV with a couple of my good friends and we headed west on a road trip. Our schedule had provided us just enough time to squeeze in a Rocky Mountain MANcation adventure. With tents, sleeping bags, an ice chest, and provisions for the road, our vehicle was crammed full. In fact the gear in the back was packed so high that the rear-view mirror was of no use at all.  While this would make parallel parking and lane changes a tad more difficult, it was nothing like the visual obstacles we would later face in Kansas.

Somewhere between Wichita and Salina we ran into a large swarm of bugs. The sun had barely disappeared before a mass of insects came out to play and unfortunately collect on our windshield. For a stretch of miles this continued so much that our visibility was greatly hindered. There were so many thuds on the glass that we thought we had driven into an Old Testament plague! We managed to get by intermittently using the mist and wipers until we could clear the glass at the next gas station. But that scenario got me thinking…

As a driver I need to know what’s behind me. It is important. However, it is far more imperative that I know where I’m going! I must be able to clearly see what is ahead. Perhaps that is why the rear-view mirror is so much smaller than the front windshield. Could you imagine if the sizes were inverted?! I’m thinking it would make safe transportation quite a challenge.

Paul points out that as believers, our lives should be pursued with a similar perspective. Our focus should not be on those things from our past but on that which lies ahead (Philippians 3:13-14). Yet often we find ourselves so aware of the failures or missed opportunities of life gone by that little attention is given to the hope that is before us.

Don’t get me wrong. We need to know where we’ve come from. We must never forget how the Lord has revealed Himself to us and through the cross, offered us forgiveness and right standing with the Father. I pray we learn from our mistakes and continue to strive onward in constant remembrance of what Christ has done and is doing.

Here’s an example from this past weekend. On one of the mountains we climbed in particular, it seemed like we were just hiking in place. We would push hard and exert great effort only for the summit to seem as far away as ever. In these moments it was helpful for us to look back toward the valley and realize how far we had actually come. May our former times serve us in a similar way. May we occasionally glance back and be encouraged by how far the Lord has grown us.

Perhaps it’s our imperfections that hinder us charging forward today. Paul essentially tells his friends in Philippi that a mature view of ourselves will constantly be aware of the fact that we’ve not yet been perfected but we do indeed belong to Christ (Philippians 3:12, 15).  So when our gaze is stuck on the rear-view mirror, just waiting for our past to catch up with us, let's remember that for those in Christ, it will not! He has removed our sins from us. No more guilt and shame for sorrowful years gone by! He is making all things new and has given us a fresh start with a higher calling. May we clearly focus on that which is heavenward and persistently press on to grab ahold of it.


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