“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

Sometimes, the things that hinder us from moving forward in our journey aren’t always bad things.

It is possible to become hostage to our past by trying to relive something that has come and gone. This can take the form of trying to relive past achievements or defining moments in our lives.

We’ve all met people like this. In their wallet or purse, they carry pictures or newspaper clippings of a climactic moment in their lives. They speak of the past in the present tense, as if these events happened yesterday.

It is healthy to celebrate our past moments in life, but it is unhealthy to become stuck in a moment and miss the rest of life.

Life is a motion picture, not a snapshot. It is always moving and stands still for no one.

Those who have a snapshot perspective of life can be easily identified by their conversation. They always talk about the past and how things used to be, or they dwell on what someone did to them years ago.

It’s almost as if they stopped living once that moment transpired. Although they can easily recall in detail a particular moment in time that occurred years ago, they cannot clearly articulate their plans for the future.

Often, people who develop a snapshot perspective of life lose their identity in the event or situation. They define who they are by that moment in time instead of who they are as a person.

You are more than a moment! You are a motion picture that is not defined by a snapshot or one frame of the picture. If you refuse to allow your past to define your future, you will discover that life has much more to offer you than a memory.

by Pastor J.C. Matthew