Can you imagine what it would be like to drive if our windshields were the size of our rearview mirrors? Likely, we’d get in many more accidents. Some of us wouldn’t even get out of our own driveways. Thankfully, cars were designed with large windshields so we can clearly see what’s ahead of us. The small rearview mirror is only there to see what’s behind.

Sometimes people look at their lives through a rearview mirror instead of a windshield. They focus on past incidents, hurts, and/or regrets more than they do on what lies ahead of them. I’ve done so at times. How about you?

Occasionally it helps to look at the past to remind us of where not to return and/or of how far we’ve come, but when we stare too long in our rearview mirrors, we can become stuck, depressed, and unable or unwilling to move forward. 

Perhaps that’s why the apostle Paul gives us this encouragement: “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). Paul had done a lot of things in his past that could have made him remain in the land of regret, but once he experienced the love of Christ, he chose to stop focusing on his rearview mirror. Instead, he looked through the windshield of his new life and saw not only the road immediately ahead of him but, more important, his ultimate destination.

Your road trip isn’t over. Focus forward!