One of the newest songs on Christian radio right now is by Mercy Me, entitled “Dear Younger Me”.  And while I applaud a couple of the themes in it, it is not one of my personal favorites.  And that’s because I have always had an issue with a certain statement:  “I would definitely go back and redo some/all of my life, IF I could take back the knowledge with me that I have now”.  I have never understood or agreed with that statement, because it seems to imply that out there, somewhere, somehow there is a perfect life, or at least a better one.  As in, having the knowledge I have now would lead to what…better relationships?  Better career choice?  Not drinking away college years?  Being smarter or more spiritual earlier on?

I have always believed that going back, even with what I know today, would result in one thing…..a possibly richer, smarter, and better looking me, making DIFFERENT MISTAKES!  Possibly “better” mistakes, with fewer consequences, but maybe WORSE.  With far worse results.  Because in this life, perfection is not attainable.  We will always sin, always make mistakes, always fall short of dreams and aspirations.  Why?  Because we are human, and not God.  Nothing that we “took back” with us would keep us from failing at something again.  After all, the only way we learn “things to take back” is because of the very mistakes we made. So what would that accomplish?  Not much..cringe worthy moments would still happen.

Paul was VERY clear about this in Scripture:  “….but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” Philippians 3:13.  I really think most days that this Scripture was put in the Bible just for me…because I many times have struggled with what I could have/should have done, and when thinking about my past, I don’t always view it in a positive light and remember my accomplishments, just my failures.  However, if anyone had a past he might like to change, it would be Paul.  And yet, he never voiced the opinion that he wished he could go back again and do ANYTHING over.  We don’t see him wanting to void his past of his unsaved life, and his persecution of Christians, because those are the very things that led him to Jesus.  And although he did put many Christians to death because of their faith, just thing how many other people have been brought into the Kingdom because of his writing of the amazing grace that he found!

So what’s the point?  It’s this, to both myself and any of you:  trusting God means believing, with our whole hearts, that every single moment, action, and thought have been used by God.  He hasn’t taken just the “good” moments and events and used them…He has used every failure, flaw, mistake, and sin to mold us into the people that we are today…and HIS work is always PERFECT.  Not us,  not our lives, but His ability to create, remake, and redeem anything and everything for His glory!  So the next time you find yourself thinking….”I would go back TODAY if I could only….” STOP.  As it also says in Scripture, “Casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself again the knowledge of God“…that would be ourselves arguing that some of our past is shameful and unusable….”and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ”…which means we obediently accept that the past is what it is, and we don’t need to wonder what would happen!  May we continue to live our lives IN the present, excited about the future, and praying that God will receive the glory!