In my search for hunting apparel to wear to Church on Sunday (A statement likely only said in a place like West Virginia) I passed by Tractor Supply and headed to Walmart thinking their sporting goods department would assuredly have the pink and brown Real Tree ® shirt I had set my mind on having. In my defense it was “Sportsman Sunday” in honor of Father’s and we were dressing the part, I truly am not that red neck. Anyway… it was a no go. So I got back in my car, drove back to Tractor Supply, certain that they would have a hunter chick covered… epic fail #2. So I drive back to Walmart and purchased a Duck Dynasty shirt and then headed home feeling my back tracking had finally paid off. I was ready for church!
Back tracking irritates me!
I’m a “multi tasker” in the worst possible ways. I most always have two projects, or unfortunately two train of thoughts in progress. Praise God for voice activated dictation, because prior to that you would not have wanted to meet me on the road (just sayin’). So to have to go back or re-do anything just grates on my nerves. I want to get two things done at once, not redo the same thing twice! I think it’s godly, after all God doesn’t like back tracking either.
Hebrews 10:38 ~ Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
There it is, plain and simple. No back tracking! At least in the spiritual sense of the words. Proverbs 14:14 says “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.” Why does anyone want to go back? Such a complete waste of time. It took me a second to get my mind wrapped around Proverbs 14:14 – and then the light went on… ding ding ding!
The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways = self-serving life styles and a lack of dedication to the things of the Lord ends in misery. And a good man shall be satisfied from himself = contentment and great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
I don’t want to appear self-righteous or holier than thou. After all, I am but one step from back sliding myself – as is any other Christian. It just takes one wrong thought, one bad decision, one selfish desire… basically a discontent, unsatisfied heart to back track. So how does one get there? By focusing on self. That single minded nature which is inherently human causing us to want our own way in our own time and putting the servitude of others, not on the back burner, but still in the pantry on the shelf. In a nutshell – we get our eyes off Jesus. We forgot that day of salvation feeling when all we wanted to do was serve God and His people. We didn’t care if we had a dime in our pocket or title behind our name (other than child of God); we were just happy falling into line and doing the next thing that needed done. Woohoo, I just wrote myself happy again! That’s why Apostle Paul could write such encouraging words from behind the bars of a prison. And not a modern day prison, he did not have 3 square meals, possibly not even one; and he certainly didn’t have a television and video game. I started to say no one was offering him a book deal, but God did! How funny is that!
This is my fuel for your fire today. Move forward in your life. Stop looking at past failures and or even past successes. You cannot undo a mistake nor can you live in yesterday’s glory. If you’ve messed up, fix it the best you can or be content with where you are, but move on!
I could have gone home and pouted because I had to settle for something other than Real Tree pink camo or I could be content with my Quack Pack purchase. I know… silly right? Well, so are a lot of the reasons we fail to move forward in our life.
PICTURES FROM SPORTSMAN DAY 2013 AT MY VERY OWN
VICTORY BAPTIST CHURCH
