I suppose it’s the wisdom I’ve gained. As the years pass, those things I used to tighten my grip on, I now find my knuckles relaxing and letting go. Our baggage—those times when I was hurt or mistreated. Mistakes that I couldn’t get past. All that stuff we hold tight in our minds drives our future attitudes.
Whether we admit it or not, we all have them, and though we may swear we have let go of those bags of muck, they crop up from time to time. Through my divorce some forty years ago, I remained amicable with my ex-husband, but that didn’t change the prolonged hurt I felt—hurt that affected not only me but also my children. I didn’t dwell on those things daily, but the hurt popped up in certain scenarios until I finally moved ahead. I can confirm that moving ahead is hard.
Scripture tells us there has never been another like Moses. One of his strongest qualities was his determination to move ahead, even when he felt he couldn’t lift another sandal. Imagine the weight Moses carried with the string of Israelites that followed him while whining, We were better off in Egypt. We want this. We want that.
Yet through it all, Moses moved ahead, trusting God’s plan and promise. Although Moses was faithful, his anger caused him to disobey God in front of the people, and God handed down a punishment. Moses would lead the people to the Promised Land but not be allowed to enter. God moved His people forward. True to His word, they entered the land of milk and honey. Because God was gracious and loving, He allowed Moses to look over the land and see the result of his years of leadership. Then he died. But the story didn’t end there. Joshua continued the leadership that Moses had begun, and God kept things moving ahead despite any roadblocks that cropped up.
As the New Year enters, stop clinging to the old baggage. Moses moved forward even when he wanted to quit, even in his mistakes. The result was the land of milk and honey—the Promised Land. Imagine if he hadn’t.
Today is the day to be a Moses. Move ahead. Discard a painful past and start your year truly new. God’s faithfulness never wavers. Move ahead and into His arms.
Cindy K. Sproles is a best-selling, award-winning author. She is a speaker and a conference teacher who teaches nationwide. Cindy is the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries, www.christiandevotions.us, and www.inspireafire.com. She serves as a writing mentor with WRAMS (Writing Write Author Mentoring Service) and is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.