God Is More Concerned with Your Future Than Your Past

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In church, we want any change in you that happens to be change that lasts for a lifetime. If we can’t apply the message, we are wasting our time in learning the truths (James 1:22-25).

We don’t want to make shallow commitments. We want to start walking in this truth, and we want to be faithful for the long haul. Oftentimes, we get bogged down in our past mistakes or our shallow commitments.  But God is more concerned with your future than your past.

Let’s learn from Peter’s example. His words and actions changed from time to time and reveal some of our own tendencies.  Look at how quickly his words and actions change:

Matthew 16:16 – Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God! ”

Matthew 16:22 – Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, “Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to You! ”

Matthew 26:35 – “Even if I have to die with You,” Peter told Him, “I will never deny You! ” And all the disciples said the same thing.

Matthew 26:58 – Meanwhile, Peter was following Him at a distance right to the high priest’s courtyard.  He went in and was sitting with the temple police to see the outcome. 

Peter’s commitments were normally short lived. He would say one thing, and then change when the circumstances changed. At one point he would proclaim undying loyalty, and then, he would flee from danger.

Maybe your story is like Peter’s. Maybe you have had times of great faithfulness among times of great failures. God is much more concerned with what you do from this point on than what you have done in the past. We want to deal with what He will do through you in the future rather than obsessing over the past.

Read one more story of Peter’s and realize the change that God’s Spirit can make in you.

What do we find out about Peter in Acts 4:13, 19-20?

13When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. 

19But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; 20 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 

Don’t drown in yesterday’s mistakes.  Walk today in the grace of Jesus.