FORWARD EVER AND BACKWARD NEVER

"Jesus said to him, “Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) 

Dear readers, respected brothers and sisters in Christ; I greet you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Surely, you entered the year 2022 with some new dreams, plans and projects. May be you've already achieved some, may be you are in the process, still to start, or have just, suddenly, gone back on your decision. 

Really, it is often easy to decide but not always easy to act in accordance with what we decide. But unless we act, and act without hesitation, we cannot achieve what we plan or maintain the decisions we make. 

Whatever your case, the ideal is to stand on what you decide and to act on what you plan. This means that once you  make an informed decision for yourself and conceive a plan with God, you can no longer turn back without forfeiting what you hoped for - and risking more. Once you put one leg forward, as you have decided, do not pull it back - no matter what happens. Instead, struggle to put the other leg forward so that you can take full a step towards your destination. And every step taken reduces, by one step, the gap between you and your goal. This is how by going forward ever and backward never, you may grow spiritually, and attain to success and fulfillment in life. 

But before we proceed further, let us hear what the scriptures say. Follow me! "You will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free" (John 8:32).

WHAT GOD HAS SPOKEN 

God spoke in the Old Testament, and it is written: "Then one of the angels said, “Run for your lives! Don't look back and don't stop in the valley. Run to the hills, so that you won't be killed.” Suddenly the Lord rained burning sulfur on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and destroyed them and the whole valley, along with all the people there and everything that grew on the land. But Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt." (Genesis 19:17, 24 -26) 

He also spoke in the New Testament, and it is written: "Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above." (Philippians 3:13-14). 

LOOK FORWARD WITH FAITH AND ZEAL

COMMON LIFE EXPERIENCES 

Let us take, for example, that you are leaving your present city to a new city - a journey you have not made before.  Let us say you want to travel by express train from New York City to Boston, from Berlin to Hamburg  or from Douala to Yaounde. Now enter the intercity train, take a seat in the last coach on which you sit facing the rear. Now you notice that whatever you see or anything that catches your eye is already behind you. It is elusive - even if the train stops you cannot touch what you saw because you saw it when the train carrying you had past it. 

You are unlike someone in the same train, sitting in the first coach and facing the front. They can capture the sceneries even miles ahead, and closely examine or analyze them as the train moves forward. In fact, in the case of necessity they may even signal to the locomotive handler to slow down or stop ahead for them to take something. 

Let us take another example - of a pedestrian in the street or a trekker on a rough country road. In both cases, if they keep looking backward while moving forward they will, surely, stumble upon both the obstacles and opportunities before them. They fall on the obstacles because they do not see where they set their feet on, and they lose opportuniies because they do not see them when they come. 

Now let us see some of the things that many people on their journeys of faith, and of life, keeping looking back to. Follow me! 

TEMPTATIONS FROM THE BACK 

When you begin a journey of faith or are rising high, from one altitude to another, temptations will surely come your way. 

Your temptation may be to return to a sinful or irregular relationship; like fornication, adultery or cuncubinage. 

Your temptation may be to re-engage into a sinful or illegal activity; such as prostitution, gambling, or smuggling. 

Your temptation may be to return to harmful habits; such as drug abuse, drunkeness and smoking; or to sinful ones, such as gossiping, impersonation and lies telling.  

But the scripture says: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." (Isaiah 43:18-19). 

This means that you have to close your heart to those desires that pull you back, and submit yourself to the grace of God, trusting in the Lord to give you a new trade, a new relationship, and /or comfort in his Spirit. 

Besides, you may fall into the temptation to take a short cut or easy way to success, achievement or enrichment. And this lures you into scamming, forgery, counterfeiting , occultism, magic etc - by which you forfeit the choice you made for your salvation in Christ. 

Finally, you may be tempted to abandon a great project you have started - a  training program, investment plan, or a research venture -  just to return to a former "comfort zone". This is, probably, because you see the challenges before you as insurmountable. 

For this the scripture says: "When the king of Egypt let the people go, God did not take them by the road that goes up the coast to Philistia, although it was the shortest way. God thought, “I do not want the people to change their minds and return to Egypt when they see that they are going to have to fight.” Instead, he led them in a roundabout way through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were armed for battle." (Exodus 13:17-18). 

This scripture teaches two important things: 

(1) The natural or winding road is the surest way to lasting success and achievement, for the short cut or easy way is fraught with danger, and may lead you to setback and destruction. 

(2) Whoever wants to progress, to attain to spiritual or material fulfillment, should be well armed for battle - against the natural and supernatural forces which are all, but inevitable. 

LONGING FOR THE PAST 

Now you can understand why the tendency of longing for the past - the gloomy past - is often irresistible. But what are the forces of attraction which make many people to go back on the positive steps they have made, or to keep longing to go back to where they have been in slavery?

Usually the origins of the temptations to turn back to a past negative condition, or to abandon a positive course of action, include:

(1) The difficulties and discomfort involved in adapting to new life conditions and new occupations. 

(2) The regret for losses of generous benefits and advantages of illegal or sinful activities. 

(3) The regret for  losses of some legimately cherished goods, loved ones , job advantages or conditions of life. 

(4) The lounting pressures from, and gravity of former peers in inequities, as well as  mockeries from detractors and adversaries. 

(5) The lack of faith in God and a vision for the future, aggravated by the fear of the unknown. 

But the scripture says: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Corinthians 4:16-17). 

This scripture teaches and assures that, no matter what is happening around us,  our hearts should remain open for Christ to dwell in. For he is the one who renews and strengthens us, as we confront challenges and step upon obstacles on to higher heights, to fulfill our dreams. As it is also written, "The one who trusts in the Lord shall be saved" (Psalm 25:5).

DANGERS OF THE U -TURN

The scripture says: "On that day someone who is on the roof of a house must not go down into the house to get any belongings; in the same way anyone who is out in the field must not go back to the house. Remember Lot's wife! Those who try to save their own life will lose it; those who lose their life will save it." (Luke 17:31-33) 

This is a serious warning, from the Incarnate Word himself, of the dangers and the consequences of turning back  from God, in order to seek comfort or refuge in the hideouts of the world. These consequences operate in the order of increasing gravity, from stagnation, to regression, and from regression to total destruction; that is, death and eternal death. Take note, and careful! 

THE WAY FORWARD 

In the face of diverse temptations to turn back, slow down, abandon or change the course, your ability to move forward will depend on your resolve to stick to the basis of your decision - faith in God, and the force of your desire to realize your vision - salvation and fulfillment in God's promises. 

This is why the scripture says: "Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24)

So, in order to move forward and backward never, on the way to Salvation or fulfillment  you need to have the following virtues :

(1) The knowledge of the Word of God, and of the Faith of the Church. 

(2) A clear and concise vision for the future - which is inspired by the Word of God, and accompanied by a practical plan of action. 

(3) A strong commitment in the Faith, and determination to achieve success - which is moderated by the virtue of patience and the submission to the will of God. 

With these you are able to face all challenges and resist all temptations, in order to reach the goals you are set for. So the scripture says: "I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18).

It is true, therefore, that nothing goes for nothing,, and that any good gotten for free has no face value. So, in order to move forward to what we have decided to do, we must consider the present challenges, discomforts and sacrifies, as the price to pay for that which we aim at achieving. 

THE WORD IS FAITHFUL 

Finally, if you know the will of God for you, and the faith on which you stand - by virtue of your baptism - then you can trust on the Word which gives you both the faith and the promises of Salvation. 

Thus, the scripture says: "My word is like the snow and the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make the crops grow and provide seed for planting and food to eat. So also will be the Word that I speak - it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do." (Isaiah 55:10 -11)

Therefore no one who believes in God shall be put to shame, and those that wait for the LORD shall never be disappointed. And may your faith, hope and love; lift you higher from level to level, and drive you forward from your plans, through every challenge and adversity, on to your achievements -  and this, to the eternal glory of God, in heaven above; AMEN!

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Author: Aying Godman is a Catechist, Evangelist & Writer from the Roman Catholic Church in Cameroon. Email : ayinggodman@gmail.com 

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