Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?
I once heard it said that the rear view mirror is tiny compared to the windscreen of your car. This is because we need to look where we are going, more than where we have been.
That resonated with me when I heard it. It just made sense because I cannot change the past. Because of this I tend to review things I have done and then move on. I like to quickly think over what I did during the day, learn from it and then file it away.
I guess as a Christ follower this sits well with my faith too. The Apostle Paul talked about the past in his “pressing on” passage in Philippians 3:12-14 NLT…
“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. [13] No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
Paul was more interested in knowing Christ, growing in his faith and fulfilling God’s purposes in his life. If that was the Apostle Paul’s focus, it is good enough for me too. I want to know Christ, grow and fulfil my purpose too.
Does this mean I do not look back at all? Definitely not. We all need to reflect on the things we have done. Maybe we can learn something, grow, and maybe do things differently next time.
Ultimately for me though, it goes back to the size of the rear view mirror compared to size of our car windscreens. Looking forward is way more important.
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