Do we concentrate on bad things we experienced in the past? Can we let loose of the old baggage and stop allowing it to burden us, so we cannot experience true Godly joy, and happiness. What does Jehovah want us to focus on? Whether its our own mistakes or a bad marriage we can be confident that Jehovah will help us to look forward and not dwell on negative things of the past. PAST NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES Not all past experiences, though, may appear positive. Perhaps we are overwhelmed by thoughts of past sins or mistakes that we made. (Ps. 51:3) We might still feel the sting of strong counsel that we received. (Heb. 12:11) Injustices—real or perhaps perceived—may dominate our thinking. (Ps. 55:2) What can we do to make sure that we do not allow such experiences to make us focus on the things behind? Consider three examples. Past mistakes. The apostle Paul described himself as “a man less than the least of all holy ones.” (Eph. 3:8) Why did he feel that way? “Because I persecuted the congregation of God,” he says. (1 Cor. 15:9) Can you imagine how Paul must have felt when he met up with some whom he had formerly persecuted? However, rather than allowing these negative thoughts to overwhelm him, Paul focused on the undeserved kindness that had been shown to him. (1 Tim. 1:12-16) The resulting gratitude that he felt spurred him on in his ministry. His former sinful conduct was included in the things that Paul was determined to forget. If we too focus on the mercy Jehovah has shown us, we will avoid having our strength sapped by undue anxiety over past events that we cannot change. We can use our strength for the work at hand. Painful counsel. What if we are tempted to look back resentfully at some counsel that we received? This can be not only painful but also debilitating—causing us to “give out.” (Heb. 12:5) Whether we “belittle” the counsel because we reject it or we “give out” because we accept it and then give up, the result is the same—we do not truly allow the counsel to benefit and refine us. How much better to heed Solomon’s words: “Take hold on discipline; do not let go. Safeguard it, for it itself is your life.” (Prov. 4:13) Like a driver who obeys road signs, let us accept the counsel, apply it, and move forward.—Prov. 4:26, 27; read Hebrews 12:12, 13. Injustices—real or perceived. We may at times feel like the prophet Habakkuk, who cried out to Jehovah for justice, not understanding why Jehovah had allowed certain unfair things to happen. (Hab. 1:2, 3) How important it is for us to imitate the faith of that prophet, who said: “Yet, as for me, I will exult in Jehovah himself; I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.” (Hab. 3:18) Like Jeremiah of old, if we keep “a waiting attitude” with full faith in Jehovah, the God of justice, we can be confident that all things will be rectified at the right time.—Lam. 3:19-24. We live in exciting times. Wonderful events are happening now and more lie just ahead. May each one of us keep pace with Jehovah’s organization. Let us heed the Scriptural counsel to look forward and not to look at the things behind. We will thereby prove that we do “remember the wife of Lot”! JW.org
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 23:35:58 +0000