Read Isaiah 43:16-25
If my life had a rewind button, it would have been worn out a long time ago. Maybe you know what I mean. Too often, after exiting a conversation, I have felt that I wished that I could have another shot to get it right.
It has happened in a class, on a date, at church, at home, in witnessing situations.
That kinda of second-guessing isn't all bad. It can keep us from flying recklessly through life, leaving a trail of hurt or never learning from our mistakes. But too much self-questioning can paralyze us with fear and insecurity, causing us to feel like a failure, a complete idiot who just never has the right words. Such preoccupation with the past, focusing on our mistakes, can keep us from moving forward with joy, hope, and confidence.
So if we find ourselves too often wishing we had a rewind button to push, what can we do to change our focus from the past to the future?
While speaking to the nation of Israel about her troubled past, the Lord offered some encouraging words through the prophet Isaiah. He didn't want them to think that He helped them once but had now abandoned them. The Lord said, "Do not dwell on the past" (Isaiah 43:18). He wanted them to look to the future. He offered to blot out their sins and remember their mistakes no more (v.25). They could start fresh with Him.
So instead of dwelling on our past, let's give it to God. We need to confess what should be confessed and talk to Him about our frustrations and self-doubts. Then, seeking His help, we can move ahead into the future, learning, and growing along the way. We can be confident that He will help us, so that we won't feel the need to hit the rewind button so often.
With God's help we can erase the past and move fast-forward.