Look Back…Remember Where You’ve Come From

Insights from our Fit & Flourish workbook for Christian small groups

Recently my wife and Fit & Flourish co-founder, Shirley, and I visited my home town of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota.  

Yes, your read that right.  Sleepy Eye…as in “Little House on the Prairie” from the books and the TV show.  It’s a small town of about 3,500 in south central Minnesota.  We drove around the place I grew up, saw some of the homes where my family lived, went to school, played sports, worked my first jobs, went to church, soaked up memories, and even saw some folks I grew up with at the annual community festival called “Corn Days”.  Some things have changed…and many haven’t. It was fun to be there and look back for a day.  But…I don’t live in Sleepy Eye anymore.

When you look back at your life…what do you see?

What you choose to remember makes a difference…your past can hold you back or position you for the life God wants for you…a fit and flourish life.

Our first look was to say “yes” to God’s invitations and see Him as He truly is.  When you see yourself the way God does, our second look comes into eternal focus.

Our second “look” in our Fit & Flourish journey invites us to look back and remember where we’ve come from.  

Here’s a key Fit & Flourish principle:

“Your past can influence you, but it doesn’t define you.”

As you look back, the personal journal/group study edition of our book, Fit & Flourish: Discover How God Created You to Make a Difference  will help you get clarity on four key questions…

1.    What significant relationships have influenced you? Some relationships were damaging… some gave you your first sense of destiny.  Some made you bitter.  Some made you better. You can’t go back and changed them…but you can decide how they will influence you now.

2.    What significant experiences have shaped you?Along with the people from your past, we’ve all had experiences that have influenced us. Some of those experiences came because of our choices.  Other experiences gave us no choice. Putting them into perspective through the lenses of God’s grace can prepare us for our future.

3.    What have your “seasons” looked like? We’ll look at “seasons” from several perspectives…natural, personal growth, length of them.  It’s vital to view your life with your seasons in mind.

4.    How is God redeeming your suffering?  We’ve all suffered to some degree…some of us more than others. The good news is that God redeems everything.  We’ll help you get perspective on how He redeems suffering.

What do you see when you look back?  

For some of us, looking back may be mostly full of frustration and failure. For some of us, the view might be better.  No matter what, it’s still vital to remember that our past may influence us, but it doesn’t define us.

If we look at our past through God’s perspective, we can be freed up to remember another life principle:

“It’s hard to drive forward when you’re looking at your rear view mirror all the time.”

Coach Yourself Forward

1. When you look back on your life, what words spring to mind? Why?

2. How do you respond to the principle that our past may influence us, but doesn’t define us?  What relationships or experiences have you allowed to define you?

3. “God redeems everything.” What issues from your past need God’s redeeming grace and healing?  Lay them before Him now…and watch God’s healing power begin to work.

Photo by Laura Fuhrman on Unsplash