Looking Back, Moving Forward

By Ife J. Ibitayo

What a year! This was supposed to be the year of 20/20 vision, of renewed clarity. In a way, I think it was. We saw all too clearly the brokenness of our world, the selfishness of the prosperous, and the fragility of the human psyche. After such a sight, it’s no surprise that Forbes magazine released an article entitled, “Forget 2020.” We all want to leave pain in the past. But is the key to moving forward forgetting what lies behind?

Remember the Cultivation

“Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character” (Deuteronomy 8:2a NLT). Moses gave the Israelites the instruction to remember, not forget, their wilderness wandering because God had used it to humble them.

I’ve definitely experienced humbling this year. I’ve seen the heights of my pride and the depths of my neediness. I’ve had my prayers for patience answered by painful months of waiting. But I’ve also learned to say with Apostle James, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be mature and complete, needing nothing” (James 1:2-4 NLT).  To forget the pruning the Lord has done on the wild vines of my heart this year, would be like attending a difficult course for a whole semester and skipping the final exam. It would give me momentary reprieve, but my months of struggle would be all for naught.

Remember the Miracles

Moses went on to tell the Israelites that God “led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness” (Deuteronomy 8:15-16a NLT). To forget 2020 would be to neglect the ways God showed up mightily this year. Incalculable lives were lost to disease, but there were also countless souls healed. Financial ruin spread like California’s wildfires, yet there were also loans secured, evictions deferred, and basic necessities met. Tears of sadness may be drying on our faces, but we still have reason to lift our hands in praise.

Remember the LORD

Lastly, Moses said, “remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful” (Deuteronomy 8:18 NLT). All human beings have an innate tendency to pat themselves on the backs. But when we reach the end of ourselves, as many of us have this past year, we find the beginning of grace. We begin to understand the reality of our eternal dependence on our sovereign Creator.

Conclusion

As we step into the new year, let’s not forget the perspective we’ve gained. Let’s carry the character we’ve built, the provision we’ve enjoyed, and the grace we’ve received into 2021.

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.”

(Romans 8:28 CSB)