How to Move Past the Past to the Present

The only purpose in looking through a window of the past is to open doors to the present and future.

One time my dad hit another vehicle from behind on an interstate entry ramp. You know why? He looked back too long without breaking or checking traffic in front of him. 

Are we looking back so long our past crashes into our present and threatens our future?

Because this always keeps us at a stand-still, unable to move in any direction. Nobody just zooms into the present without detours, obstacles, or entry and exit ramps. And no one just stumbles into God’s newness and purposes for today without first getting over her past. 

Maybe we spend years, even decades, holding on to painful memories and never making peace with the past. 

Sure, we learn from the past. Yet, we were never meant to stay there—to let the past set up residence in our heart.

So let’s look at how to move past the past for authentic relationships, a joyful present, and a grand anticipation of the future.

(1.) Promptly deal with conflict. 

Until we at least attempt to resolve riffs in our relationships, we continue to connect past heartache to present tension. For example, we may withdraw or hold a grudge because there wasn’t any closure to the “thing” that happened yesterday, last month, or years ago. 

But nothing swept under the rug really helps anyone. Instead, it only causes us to keep tripping over the same issue. 

Read More…