PASTOR’S CORNER: I won’t go back to what I used to be

Now community some things we come out of we don’t want to ever return to. It is detrimental to our physical health and our spiritual health. Once we walk away we don’t want to look back and we don’t want to go back. There’s something about the word “back” or going backward that doesn’t appeal to some people.

“I’m moving forward and I won’t go back.” meaning that where I was, was not a good place. It did nothing to advance me; life is always about advancing and moving forward.

Sometimes we all need to make this statement. Sometimes, we need to walk away and not look back. Sometimes we all need to make up our minds that we are not going to go back to certain practices, certain behaviors, and sometimes certain people. I believe this morning that when God brings us out of something; and delivers us out of something, we do not need to go back to it. It could cost us if we do. “I won’t go back” is a statement that we make when we know that where we were, was not a good place; why would we want to go back?

A horrible job you hated had your blood pressure up and stressed, but you were delivered from it. Why would you want to go back? Why would you want to go back to a relationship that you were in that was toxic and God blessed you to get out of it? God delivered you from Satan and the power of sin over your life was broken. You’re free, you’re happy, you’re satisfied, you’re spirit-filled, and you love the Lord. Why would you want to go back to that which had you messed up?

As Christians we may have messed up, strayed away, left our first love (which is God); but God restored us, forgave us and gave us back the JOY of our salvation. Why would we want to go back? Why in the world would you want to go back to an abusive marriage where you almost died from physical and mental abuse. It almost ran you crazy, but God blessed you to get out. The same thing applies to those once under the addiction of drug and substance abuse. Once the addiction is broken and you get your life back, why would you want to go back to that which will surely take you out?

It’s almost like the Israelites, who were delivered from the Egyptian bondage of slavery by working under the hardship of taskmasters. Through the mighty hand of God, Pharoah told them to leave. They were given gifts from the Egyptians themselves because the Israelites did not own anything. After more than 400 years of groaning, they were set free. God brought them out by his mighty hand but when the going got rough and their faith was tested, they wanted to go BACK to slavery in Egypt; a slap in the face to the God who had brought them out! Only Joshua and Caleb said, “We won’t go back!”

Community, some things we ought not never want to go back to! When Jesus cleanses us from the dirtiness of sin; once he opens our eyes to sin’s consequences, wash us in his precious blood, why would we want to go back to wallowing in the mud, and sure death? The wages of sin is death, according to Romans 6:23). But we need to know how Jesus felt about looking back and going back.

In Luke 9:57-62, we see the high cost of discipleship. For it will cost you to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. The scriptures says that a certain man said unto Jesus, Lord, I will follow you wherever you go, but Jesus said to him, foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head. In other words, Jesus said to him I am homeless and don’t have a dwelling place. Jesus said to another man, follow me but this man said, Lord, I will but let me first go home and bury my father. Jesus said to him, Let the dead bury the dead but you go and preach the kingdom of God. Another said, Lord, I will follow you, but let me first go and bid them farewell or goodbye that are at my house. Jesus said to him no man having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Jesus has a low tolerance for people who come to him but is looking back at the world. That’s why God can’t use some Christians now. They are too entangled in the world! They want to serve God but want to hold on to their worldly friends and trying to love two. They don’t want to let go of the family and don’t want to let go of the world but think about this; if what we had in the world was so good, then we would have never come to Christ! It was the world that had us messed up and it took the blood of Jesus to clean us up.

We watched some of the Olympics the last couple of weeks on television. The USA won more medals than any other country. They won because they focused on what was ahead, and they didn’t look back. May we all in Christ declare, “I won’t look back and I won’t go back to what I used to be.”