REMEMBER THE ALAMO…But do not dwell on your past battles in life.
Remember the Alamo!
I loved the historical account of the Alamo and the John Wayne movie version.
My heart was captured by the tale of 186 Texas fighters holding out against the larger Mexican army led by Santa Anna for thirteen days during the Alamo siege in present-day San Antonio.
My favorite movie moment is when Colonel Travis, faced with a fight to the death, drew a line in the dirt with his sword and declared, “If you have the courage to stay and fight with me, step across the line.”
Facing defeat and death, they chose to stand for what was worth their lives. They left behind a legacy of bravery and sacrifice for freedom.
I watched the historically inaccurate and poorly acted movie as a child, teen, young adult, and older person.
My mother often remarked that I kept hoping for a different outcome.
How many of us remember our past battles in life? That War of Words.
We all have past hurts and grievances from being treated unfairly by others.
We often recall past events, hoping we could change what happened. We ponder the “what ifs” and the “I wish I had said or done that.”
But we cannot change what happened, no matter how often we remember and rethink the scene.
We focus on how to express our hurt or anger towards someone because of their words or actions. We craft the perfect comment, text, or email to reignite the battle or renew the word war.
We behave like Santa Anna at the Alamo. Peace negotiations are not an option. They can admit they are wrong and know they are dead to me, or they can just die and go to hell.
“We drink the poison our minds pour for us and wonder why we feel sick.” (Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird).
We drink the poison. We drown in a cesspool of self-reflective memories. Our thoughts cry out to “Remember the War of Words,” but it does not lead our minds to freedom.
As Nelson Mandela stated as he was released from twenty-seven years of imprisonment in South Africa, “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.”
Mandela chose peace and reconciliation as a better way forward. His life demonstrated the importance of letting go of past grievances for a better future.
You and I cannot change the past. We can wallow in its disappointments. We can be imprisoned by its hurts. Or we can let go of the past regrets, worries, and grievances for a better future.
How? Eyes up! Your help comes from the Lord (Psalm 121:1).
Do not dwell on the past…God is doing a new thing in your life. The Lord is making a way through the wilderness and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:18-19).
Here is one thing I can do because of God’s grace at work in me. I will focus on this one thing. I will forget what is behind and put my thoughts and efforts into what is ahead. I will press on toward the goal to finish my race and receive the heavenly prize (Philippians 3:13-14).
Holding on to anger, resentment, and unforgiveness keeps us chained to our past. The result is unhappiness and emotional turmoil.
Forgiveness lets go of the past. It does not alter what happened, but it transforms you. It begins to heal you emotionally and free you to live and love, unchained.
Make allowance for the faults of others and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:13).
Put away all your bad feelings about other people. Leave behind your anger and hurts and arguments and harsh words and dislikes which should have no place in your life. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you because you belong to Christ (Ephesians 4:31-32).
We will need God’s help to do that. EYES UP! The Lord is here to help right now.
We all face difficulties that threaten to overwhelm us. We all face the temptation to dwell on past battles in life as the reason for our present unhappiness.
All struggles in life are temporary, like suffering. They have expiration dates. Do not keep them around longer. They will only cause you to feel worse.
“We drink the poison our minds pour for us and wonder why we feel sick.”
God loves you unconditionally. There is nothing in your past that will ever cause Him to love you less. Joy and goodness await you…fresh every morning.
Ask the Lord to help change your focus today. Renew your mind with God’s Word.
Remember the Alamo but get rid of the past poisons in your life.
DO NOT DWELL ON THE PAST. LOOK TO THE FUTURE AND LIVE IN THE PRESENT.
GET YOUR EYES UP SO YOU CAN SEE HOPE ON THE HORIZON AND HAPPINESS SURROUNDING YOU NOW.
LOVE FIRST...LOVE MOST 