Past Tense part 5
The past can make you tense... but only if you let it. Yesterday I said, "Get over it." And that's where my focus is for today. See, we throw the term "overcomer" around quite a bit in the church world. But I really think we use it incorrectly. We tell people they need to be an overcomer. They need to overcome. I don't think this is right though. Revelation 12:11 tells us that, "...they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Now this could very easily be seen as a formula for how to overcome. BUT. I believe the entire book of Revelation is simply an in-depth look at the cross. It's the revelation of Jesus Christ, right? The work that He finished. So perhaps this verse, which is written in the past tense anyway, is telling us something that already happened. Not telling us how TO overcome, but telling us how we OVERCAME. Telling us that there is nothing LEFT to overcome. Because on the cross Jesus fought the war to end all wars. And that means there are no more wars left to fight. Look at Romans 8:37, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Jesus conquered. We are MORE than conquerors. We don't have to conquer. He finished the work and we get to enjoy the fruit of His labor. The Fruit of the Spirit, which is love. We don't have to keep fighting battles that have already been won. We can rest. We don't have to let the past hold us back anymore. Not because it was terrible, and we can't believe our lives will ever get any better... and not because it was great and we think our best days are behind us. Both good and evil are on the same tree. The fig tree that Jesus cursed because it couldn't produce any fruit. HE is the vine. The Tree of Life. And since we are connected to Him, HE produces the fruit and we bear it. We enjoy it, and share it. We love one another because He first loved us. That's the New Commandment. And if we're talking about getting over the past--in the sense of just leaving it behind--then we're talking about something new. Walking in newness of life. Walking by faith, not by sight. The past was what it was. And we can either let it hold us back, or we can learn from it. We can let it drag us down, or we can keep going upward and God-ward! Notice the end of our verse in Romans, "through him that loved us." It's all FOR us, and it's all THROUGH Him. He did it all so we could get it all. And now we have it all. He gave His life for us, and He gave His life to us. Now we have the opportunity to experience His life as He lives it in us, and through us, and as us. Our story is history. Our story is HIS story. When we find ourselves in Him. When we find Him in ourselves. When we let grace re-write our story (that's the next Rant series though, and you guys know I TRY not to get ahead of myself). So let me leave you with this: The past happened. And there's nothing you can do to change it. But you don't have to let it define you. You can let Jesus define you. Because that's who you really are. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in YOUR flesh. Love in YOUR body. And since all you have is right now... that's when your story starts. Right now. So make the best of it! Live your life. Let God love you and love everyone you come into contact with with that same love!