Forward Progress

It took God one night to get Israel out of Egypt. But it took forty years to get Egypt out of Israel. The Israelites were always looking back.

Some Christians are that way. They’re always looking back. They say, “Remember the good old days—you know, before I was a Christian? Man, we would party! We had so much fun!”

Really? Were they, in fact, the good old days? Were they as good as they thought they were? Or is their memory a little distorted? Have they forgotten the emptiness? Have they forgotten the despondency? Have they forgotten the repercussions of the things they did? Have they forgotten that dull ache deep inside? Have they forgotten the havoc it brought on their family? They’ve conveniently forgotten about that and remember the few good times they had.

That is what the Israelites were doing. They were always looking back. But before we judge them, let’s realize that we’ve done the same thing. This is why Jesus said, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62 NKJV).

Have you ever been driving along and had the highway patrol pull up behind you? It makes you nervous, doesn’t it? Do you slow down, even if you’re doing the speed limit? And if they happen to slow down, do you slow down even more?

You can’t live in two worlds. You can’t go forward when you’re looking back. And you can’t walk forward spiritually if you’re always looking over your shoulder. World changers see opportunities, but those who are changed by this world see obstacles. World changers see bridges, but those who are changed by this world see walls. It’s all in how you look at things.