How can I move forward?

A New Year and the general consensus is that as we enter another year it’s ‘out with the old and in with the new’. We look back and take stock of the good, the bad, and maybe even the ugly. For the majority of us 2019 would have brought good things and happy times, but for some of us it would have also been accompanied by a measure of hurt, disappointment and struggles that would seem to threaten to overwhelm us.

We are encouraged to move on, leave the past behind, seize the day – and this is all well-meaning. Unfortunately, life isn’t as easy as the textbook psychology, the clichés or even the old adages. We all have good intentions but here’s another old adage ‘The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

One of the most popular, learned, inspirational apostles, who wrote nearly half of the new testament knew about hard times, persecution and struggles. St Paul was stoned, shipwrecked, imprisoned, lied on and beaten – and he gave this advice:

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”.  Philippians 3 : 13 – 14

Please note, and I cannot emphasise enough, Paul did not say he had a list of 3,4,7 steps to take He said “One thing”- Forget what is behind and press on.

This may seem nigh on impossible with what you’re facing now. The hurts, disappointment, the broken dreams, financial hardship, the health issues – the list is endless, and they may seem to have attached themselves to you in leach-like fashion, but another scripture reminds us that there is nothing impossible for God.

“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible” Matthew 19:26.

Unlike a cliché, which means a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought, God’s Word is new, true and original and has power to change lives.

Every good intention you have will not change your life or help you to move forward, neither will the 24 hour cross over from  31^st January 2019 to 1^st January 2020, it’s simply another 24 hours, but I promise that moving forward, with God, from doubt to belief in His Word will.

God Bless

Beverley (Wolverhampton, UK)