Seeing Through the Windshield, Not the Rearview Mirror

Things usually are designed as they are for a specific reason. “Form follows function,” the architectural and industrial design adage declares. The function or purpose of a chair is to support people sitting on it. After that, the furniture designer can decide what form the chair should take. The function of a car is to transport riders from one place to another. Once that purpose is achieved, automotive designers can figure out how to visually impress potential buyers. 

 

Form follows function. This principle came to mind while reading an entry in pastor and author Tony Evans’s Kingdom Man devotional book. He observed, “Do you know why a car’s windshield is bigger than its rearview mirror? Because where you are going is more important than where you’ve been.”

 

Simple wisdom, but profound. Unless you’re backing out of your garage or driveway, trying to steer your car while staring into the rearview mirror would be utter foolishness. Not to mention extremely dangerous, especially if you’re on the highway. Keep looking ahead! And yet, persisting to hold a rearview perspective is how many people are living their lives.

 

These folks let memories and regrets from the past dominate their days, coloring their present and shaping their future. I regard it as the “woulda, coulda, shoulda syndrome.” “If I would have done that, then this wouldn’t have happened.” “I could have chosen to do that; then I wouldn’t be where I am now.” “I should have decided to do (whatever) instead of what I did – then everything would have been different.”

 

Understandably, there’s not one of us who if given the opportunity wouldn’t change some key events or decisions in our past. The person who says, “I wouldn’t change a single thing about my life,” is either in denial or unrealistic. We all have regrets to some extent. But the simple fact is we can’t change the past. Time machines don’t exist, and even if they did, changing even a slight detail might have catastrophic consequences. Science-fiction writers call it “the butterfly effect.”

 

The best we can do is learn from the past and strive to do better in the present and time yet to come. In sports they say to be successful, a baseball pitcher or quarterback in football must have a short memory. They can’t dwell on the pitch just thrown that went over the fence for a home run, or the pass that was intercepted during the last drive. They must ignore the mistake and move on to the next pitch or play.

 

Pastor Evans added this comment: “I’m not saying yesterday is a bad conversation topic, but you don’t want to get stuck there. Yesterday’s victories will not carry you through today. Yesterday’s defeats should not dominate tomorrow.”

 

I think this is why the Bible has such forward-thinking focus. Even in Genesis, the Bible’s first book, there are many references to forthcoming events, biblical “types” that foreshadow God’s actions in the future. The Old Testament includes a series of prophetic books. And the last book of the Bible, Revelation, is filled with prophesies yet to come.

 

The apostle Paul was a man whose life could have been ruined by “rear view mirror living.” A zealous Pharisee and acclaimed religious leader, he had eagerly persecuted early Christians, even gladly spectating at the stoning of the apostle Stephen. After his dramatic Damascus Road conversion, Paul never forgot what he had done, always marveling at the incredible forgiveness, grace and mercy of God. 

 

However, rather than dwelling on his past, he was able to write, “…I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

 

Apparently somewhat of a sports fan, he often used athletic metaphors. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 he wrote, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize…. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly. I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

 

While the apostle does not comment specifically on looking backward, he certainly understood that winning racers can’t be concentrating on portions of the course they’ve already passed. In a similar way, to live in a way that honors God we must learn to let go of the past – its failures and pain, as well as its successes and joys – as we pursue what the Lord has for us now and the days to come.

If anyone has a clear view of the past, it’s God. Still, He gives us this promise: “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). He can take our past, even in wrecked form, and make it functional for a glorious future. 

Sometimes Hindsight Is the Best Sight

My wife and I have a bird feeder in our front yard and enjoy watching the variety of cardinals, wrens, robins, chickadees, doves and other feathered folks enjoying their free nibbles. I’ve noticed they’re very skittish – with eyes situated on the sides of their heads, when they notice movement in front, to the side or even behind them, they’re quick to flit away until the perceived peril is gone.

We’ve also had owls take up residence in our back yard. While they prefer to stay out of sight, occasionally we get a glimpse of them. Even though their eyes are in front, we’ve observed them turning their heads nearly 360 degrees. (Makes my neck hurt just thinking about it.)

 

In contrast to the biological construction of members of the fowl family, we humans have our eyes located in the front of our faces and are anatomically restricted in how far we can turn our heads. As a result, we tend to be forward-looking – focusing on what’s ahead of us. When driving, that’s why rear-view and side-view mirrors are so helpful. We can remain facing ahead and watching where we’re going, while still keeping tabs on what may be alongside or behind us. 

 

For the most part, that’s as it should be. Dwelling on the past, especially painful times, can be self-destructive and hinder our growth as individuals. There’s something to be said about concentrating on where we’re going in life rather than agonizing over where we’ve been. However, there are times when a right perspective on the past can enhance our present and future.

 

It was American philosopher George Santayana who first declared, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” That’s why it’s troublesome when some advocate revising history or even erasing it. Even with its flaws and tragedies, an accurate knowledge of history can help us avoid repetition of grievous errors and heinous sins.

 

But there’s another reason for having a healthy appreciation of the past. Sometimes life’s present hardships and struggles can only be understood when viewed in reverse. Vernon Grounds, the late American theologian and educator, observed, “Like the Chinese philosopher riding backwards on a donkey, we only understand life looking back.”

 

Many times during my career as a writer and journalist, as well as being a husband, father and grandfather, things didn’t make much sense while I was experiencing them. But through the lens of hindsight, I can see how those times proved beneficial for me and my loved ones. 

 

As oft-quoted Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Sometimes we wonder, “Lord, how can You possibly use this for good?” His response might be, “Just wait and see.”

 

In his devotional book Grace Notes, author Philip Yancey states, “What is faith, after all, but believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse?” When we first come to Christ in saving faith, we might take a leap that defies reason. But as we advance in our faith journey, hindsight – being able to remember what God has done in our lives – enables our faith to grow stronger.

 

Numerous times in the Old Testament the ancient Israelites, an amazingly forgetful lot, were admonished to remember what God had done: freeing them after 400 years of slavery in Egypt; parting the Red Sea so they could escape the pursuing Egyptian army; being provided water, manna and quail to feed and sustain them during their wanderings in the wilderness; receiving God’s laws designed for successful living, and many other things. Whenever they forgot that hindsight can be the best sight, they fell back into their sinful ways.

 

Perhaps this is one reason I’ve come to embrace Proverbs 3:5-6 as my “life verse.” It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” I’ve lost count of the times when I couldn’t understand the circumstances I was going through. But meditating on this passage has reminded of the importance of knowing that through His power and sovereignty, God can straighten even the most crooked path.

 

I may not have the capacity for spinning my head around like an owl to check out what’s behind me, but when I do pause to look back and ponder how the Lord has worked in my life, it gives me renewed hope and confidence in what the future holds.

Looking Back – and Ahead – at the Same Time

Just as a sunset marks the end of a day, a sunrise - and a
new year - mark a new beginning.

The year’s about over. For some it provided fond memories, while leaving others with bittersweet feelings. Still others regard it as, “Good riddance!” They can’t wait for it to end. How was 2017 for you?   

Soon another new year will usher in. Some will stay up until midnight or after, watching the huge Times Square New Year’s ball drop at the precise moment, while the rest of us will head to bed early, trusting the celebrated ball will descend successfully without our help. But first, there’s a bit of unfinished business with the current year.

A lot happens over the span of 365 days individually, nationally and globally. During this season when we hear so much about peace on earth and good will toward men, we realize the world remains filled with hate, strife and unrest. Here in the USA, the new President demonstrated a propensity for letting his fingers do the walking (via social media) whether we approved or not. In many respects, the societal divide began resembling the Grand Canyon.

These last moments of the year prompt me to assess how I’ve utilized the gift of each day and opportunities afforded to me. Where have I grown as a person? Have I grown? What mistakes did I make that I can learn from, even well into my seventh decade of life? What goals, long-term and short, did I accomplish – and what building blocks did I put in place for future achievement?

Maybe you ask yourself such questions; maybe not. But even if you do, the time comes for looking forward. Just as trying to drive while staring in the rearview mirror is a slow, and sometimes dangerous, endeavor, so is attempting to live life while clinging to days gone by.

There’s nothing wrong with revisiting the past, cherishing things we wish to remember and seeking to learn from things which would be best forgotten – so we don’t repeat them. Dwelling on the past, however, is usually counterproductive. We can’t change it, much as we can only anticipate the future. What we do have, and can affect, is today, whether it’s the final day of the old year or first day of the new.

That’s why I love the words and wisdom of the apostle Paul, who wrote to fellow followers of Jesus in Philippi, “Not that I have already obtained all this [a life totally dominated by the life of Christ], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me…. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

As a one-time persecutor of Jesus’ disciples, Paul had much he would have preferred to forget. But recognizing that through Christ he had become a new man, nothing like the religious, anti-Christian zealot he once was, the apostle chose instead to “strain toward what is ahead and press on toward the goal” of becoming more like the One he once opposed.

The same holds for us. We all have regrets, things we wish we could “do-over.” But in Christ, what matters most is not what we’ve done. He’s taken care of all our wrongs: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). What does matter is what we’re going to do with today, along with the days that remain ahead of us.

Just as a sunset signifies the end of a day and a sunrise the start of a new one, the completion of one calendar can mean a new, fresh start. Drawing from the past and learning from it, proceeding into each day with renewed resolve and determination to become all God wants us to be. As Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Tense About the Past, or Thinking Future Tense?

Like it or not, we’re creatures – and captives – of time. We live in the present, one moment at a time, but can choose either to dwell on the past or anticipate and plan for the future. Where we focus our attention makes a great difference.

Setting sail toward the future is
far more productive than
sitting still on the beach.

As a friend of mine has observed, "You can't bring back the past, but you can make the best of the future." Entrepreneurs understand this well. Rather than taking the safe route of working for someone else and receiving a certain paycheck, entrepreneurs risk failure – and sometimes experience it – while pursuing their dreams. The secret is not allowing the memories of those failures to preoccupy their thoughts.

Inventors realize this, too. Think of Thomas Edison and the incandescent light bulb. Those that dreamed up the “horseless carriage.” Or the person whose brainchild was a nifty device called Velcro. They certainly encountered failure repeatedly before stumbling on the needed solutions, but didn’t let the past become a repressive enemy. Instead, it became a springboard for their success.

It’s often been said that the only true failure is failing to learn from the past. Not learning from the past in many cases destines us to repeat it. The past can be a great teacher, but it makes a poor constant companion.

Some of us find ourselves paralyzed by “woulda,” “shoulda,” and “coulda.” You know: “I wish I woulda done something different.” “I shoulda chosen that instead.” “If only I coulda had another opportunity.” All three focus on the undoable past rather than the yet-to-be-determined future.

Without question, we all have moments or even seasons of our lives we regret, but until someone discovers how to build a time machine, there’s nothing we can do to undo what’s done. And even with a time machine, some theorize, to change anything in the past could very well rend asunder the fabric of time. So instead, concentrating on the promising future is a brighter, healthier perspective.

The apostle Paul embraced this reality. If anyone did, Paul had much about which to feel remorseful – leading the persecution of followers of Jesus; being a passive participant in the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr; arrogantly opposing all who embraced the teachings of Christ and believed Him to be God in the flesh.

But then, after a dramatic encounter with Jesus through a vision on the road to Damascus, Paul became one of His most ardent disciples. He could have dwelt on his vicious and tragic past, but after experiencing the grace and mercy of Christ, rightly chose instead to give his complete attention to the future, serving his Savior and Lord with unparalleled zeal.

Writing to believers in Philippi, Paul said, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching 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).

His determination not to let a regrettable past master him, but rather to keep the future foremost in his mind, was underscored when Paul wrote, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes through strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

That should serve as an example for us all. Are you haunted by failed relationships, unrealized hopes and dreams, regrettable words and actions? Let the past rest in the grave of history. 

Keep our eyes on the prize, resolved to faithfully serve and represent the God we worship. Moving toward the future, rather than constantly gazing what’s gone on before, is a safer and healthier way of proceeding through this life.

Forgetting the Past…Building for the Future

What kind of year has 2014 been for you? Does it make you want to say, “Sorry to see you go,” or “Good riddance”?

Has it been a year of moving forward, accomplishing significant goals and collecting memorable experiences? Or has it been a year of treading water at best, or of moving backward, enduring disappointments and suffering pain, whether physical, emotional or both?

Emerging from hazy past, sometimes
the future can seem equally foggy.

For many of us the ending of one calendar year and the starting of another often prompt times for reassessing where we’ve been and where we think we’re going. If the year has been a good one for the most part, we’re eager to proceed, hoping to experience more of the same – or to build even more elaborately on the foundation that’s been laid.

Sometimes, however, it’s hard to project where we think we’re headed, especially if we’re not thrilled with the journey so far. The past has a way of clinging to us even when we’d desperately like it to let go.

The past offers a particular conundrum. It’s often said those who forget the mistakes of the past are bound to repeat them, but at the same time inordinate focus on past events can become paralyzing. So how do we strike a proper balance?

Paul the apostle offers a good example to follow. Writing to followers of Jesus in the city of Philippi, Paul stated, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

This doesn’t mean the apostle had totally forgotten his past misdeeds. He vividly remembered times when he zealously opposed those he later came to regard as his brothers and sisters in Christ. “I persecuted the followers of the Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison” (Acts 22:4). But he didn’t dwell those wrongs, no matter how wretched they were, understanding he had received God’s forgiveness. He’d become a changed man.

We all also have deeds we wish we hadn’t done or things we dearly wish we had done when we had the opportunity, but the past is written in stone. It can’t be erased. We can’t un-write our personal history, but starting today we can create fresh, new, different chapters that don't have to result in remorse and regret.

In that sense, like Paul, we also can “strain toward what is ahead,” pressing toward those things God has called us to do as well as what He wants us to become.

Then again, obsessing over the future can be as unproductive as immersing ourselves with thoughts of what’s gone before. That’s why Jesus offered this caution: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

Around the first of the year I have a personal tradition of reviewing the previous 12 months, my successes and failures, along with what I achieved in my quest to attain specific goals. And then I set new goals for the coming year. But I know a year’s worth of goals won’t be accomplished in a single day or a week. One day at a time is all we can do. We rightly plan for the days ahead of us – tomorrow, next week, two months from now. But the events of today have an annoying way of disrupting expectations for tomorrow.

So as we move into 2015, I’m resolved to do my best to learn from past mistakes and not repeat them, not wallow in wrongs that can’t be undone, and strive to be ready for future opportunities, remembering that in Christ, “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

Nothing Like a Nice Do-Over

One of the worst ways to live is living with regret. The kind where people spend their lives focused on “woulda’s” and “shoulda’s” and “coulda’s.”

All of us have moments in our lives
we would dearly like to erase.

For example, “I wish I woulda kept that appointment I decided to cancel,” or “I shoulda spent more time with my children when they were young and less time working,” or “We coulda bought that other house, instead of this money pit.” Most times poor decisions aren’t make or break. We reconsider them, shrug our shoulders, and then move on. But sometimes we dearly wish we could have a “do-over,” or as golfers call it, a mulligan.

I think golf is unique in that respect. When I was playing tennis regularly, I don’t recall anyone offering me a “mulligan” if I made a bad serve or hit a crucial return past the baseline. The same holds true for virtually ever other sport. Except, I suppose, for fishing where the fisherman will sometimes make a catch and then, after admiring the prize, mercifully toss it back into the lake. Have you ever given a mulligan to a mackerel?

Frankly, this concept of being given a chance to do something over is one of the most appealing aspects of biblical faith. We find it repeatedly in both the Old and New testaments. In Exodus 34 we see an example that’s kind of humorous.

After receiving the Ten Commandments from God, Moses had descended from atop Mt. Sinai only to find the Israelites hooting and hollering around a golden calf they had fashioned into an idol for worship. In a fit of anger, Moses smashed the stone tablets at the foot of the mountain, breaking them to pieces. It’s not recorded, but I believe he must have quickly uttered, “Oops!”

Not long afterward, Moses climbed back up the mountain, probably red-faced. Instead of saying, “What the heck was that all about?” God simply instructed Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke” (Exodus 34:1). It’s like the Lord was telling the feisty leader of the Israelites, “Okay, let’s try this again. Only this time, can we avoid smashing the tablets?”

During Jesus’ trial prior to His crucifixion, impetuous Peter had – as Jesus predicted – denied the Lord three times. So after His resurrection, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” and each time Peter responded, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you” (John 21:15-23). The disciple had blown it big time, betraying the Son of God repeatedly, and yet Jesus was giving him the biblical equivalent of a mulligan.

And the apostle Paul, who’d been zealous in his role of leading the opposition to the growing legion of Christ followers, never forgot how graciously he too had been forgiven and redeemed. Like all who humble themselves and receive Jesus into their lives, Paul had been given a spiritual do-over he described this way: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). In other words, no need to dwell on your past.

Do you ever find yourself wrestling with woulda’s and shoulda’s and coulda’s? God won’t alter what’s already transpired, but He offers a second chance, a do-over. If you haven’t already done so, I’d recommend you take Him up on His offer!