Is Your Behind in Your Past?

          The Lion King is the first movie our oldest daughter, Shelby ever saw at a movie theater. Years later, it continues to be one of her favorites. Last night she was watching it with Ashley, Carly, Matthew, Jacob and her fiancé, Kevin. I happened to come into the room when Pumbaa, the warthog tells Simba,”Its times like this my buddy Timon here says: you got to put your behind in your past.” Of course, Timon is quick to correct his friend and replies, “No, no, no. Amateur. Lie down before you hurt yourself. It's "You got to put your past behind you."

          Poor Pumbaa, he just couldn’t get it right. I don’t think he is the only one who struggles with this.  How often do we “put our behind in our past”? Instead of moving forward we plant our behinds in our past. We don’t move forward because we choose to stay back and dwell. What do we dwell on? Maybe we dwell on the pain someone caused us. Perhaps we linger over a gross injustice done to us. It could be that we cling tightly to the past because someone or something was in our past but is not or cannot be part of our future. Sometimes we feel incapable of moving on. It’s like that nightmare we all have where we want to move our feet but we cannot because they are glued to the ground. The truth is that alone we may be incapable of moving on but with God’s grace and strength, we can move on.

          The Lord has continually brought these verses from Isaiah before my eyes.

          “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

          We need to move our behinds out of the past! Being stuck in the past keeps us from moving forward to the new thing God has for us.  He promises us that He has something new. You may not believe it, sitting there in the past, but He does have something new for you. I love reading the words “See, I am doing a new thing”. My friends, that is exciting!

          As we sit in the past, we may only see a wasteland. We choose not to look past things like sadness, regret, anger and hurt. No wonder He calls it a wasteland! It’s time to open our eyes and see (perceive) that He is making a way in your wilderness. He is bringing streams into the wasteland of your past.

          Have you planted your behind in your past? If so, it’s a new season! Uproot yourself from what’s holding you in the past. Open your eyes and take a look at the “new thing”. Get on the road He is building in your wilderness. There is a stream flowing through what looks like a wasteland-let it refresh you! It’s time for us to get it right and put our pasts behind us.