Grace Moves Us Forward

Don’t “should” on yourself!

Usually in difficult times, or when life just is not perfect, we tend to “should” on ourselves. When things go wrong, it seems most people do have tendency to tell themselves and others what they should or should not have done.

Don’t you?

• We should have planned differently.

• You should not have done THAT.

• We should have saved more.

• You should have spent more time with them.

• We should have taken better care of our health.

• We should have seen this coming.

• You should have listened to me.

• We should have bought that toilet paper when we had the chance.

People go through their day “should-ing” on themselves or allowing others to “should” on them.

(Note: The unhealthy “shoulds” look back at the past. The healthy “shoulds” are proactive and future oriented. You should love, laugh, pray, forgive…)

The thing is - WE CANNOT CHANGE THE PAST!

The Bible says, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” Philippians 3:13-14.

An amazing thing about our faith is grace moves us forward. Grace NEVER looks back. At the time Jesus went to the Cross, all your sins were in the future. All your sins were paid for in the past! They were paid for even before they were committed. That is amazing grace! It is that amazing grace that motivates us not to sin any longer (Romans 6).

The moment we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). From that moment on, grace NEVER looks back and says, “I should not have; you should not have; we should not have…”

Can we learn from our sins and mistakes? Certainly. But grace clearly says that regret has no place in our relationship with the Father; regret has no place in growing into the person God designed us to be.

Jesus said it this way, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned…” (John 3:17-18). Because of your faith in the cross and resurrection, Jesus will never say, “You should not have!”

Whatever you should have done or should not have done, forget it. It is in the past.

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (to know and abide in the truth) John 8:31-36.

No “should-ing” on your past and the past of others. Look forward. His grace moves you in that direction.