How Do We Go On?

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.  Galatians 6:7-10
We have been learning about the Seven Laws of the Harvest.  Today we have come to the last Law -

Law 7 - We cannot do anything to change last year's harvest, but we can impact this year's:

So many of us live in the shame and bondage of what has happened in the past.  And that is exactly where Satan wants us.  As long as we live in that bondage, we are highly ineffective for God!  It is so easy to identify ourselves by our failures and believe the lie that we are no good and unworthy of God’s grace, mercy and goodness, let alone worthy and capable enough to serve Him in any capacity.  We must forget about the past and concentrate on that which is at hand.

How Do We Go On?

1. By Accepting that We Cannot Do Anything to Change Last Year’s Harvest - Whatever we did last year, last month, last week, even yesterday is over and past. Although the past cannot be erased, it must be "forgotten" in these ways:
   We cannot allow past failures to keep us from experiencing God's best today.
   We Must View Failure from the Right Perspective
2. By Recognizing that We Must Learn to Live With the Consequences of Our Failures - We must confess our failures and receive God's forgiveness.  To confess wipes the slate of sin clean. However it does not always remove the consequences. By resting in the fact of our forgiveness, we free ourselves to experience the transforming work of God's grace.
3. By Not Judging Our Harvest by Standards of the World and its Ideas of Success - We can possess none of the world's standards of success, and yet be successful in the eyes of God if we have been faithful.  We can have everything that the world thinks makes us a success, and still be a huge failure in the eyes of God. Success comes in being obedient to the Lord and growing in character like the Lord Jesus, not in numbers, names, and noses, or position, power, prestige, and possessions, or activities, abilities, and acceptance by people.
4. By Committing Ourselves to This Year’s Harvest - Whether we did or did not produce effectively in last year’s harvest, we must not sit around in self-pity or guilt, or sit on our laurels. But we must press on toward the upward call of God in Christ whether we have experienced victory and growth, or failure, or a lack of growth.

We must also view success from the right perspective. We cannot use past success as an excuse for ignoring present responsibilities. Neither success nor failure is the end of the road. Success is just an invitation to continue more faithfully.
When people believe they are failures or that their failures (sinful sowing) forever ruin their chances for success and marks them for life, it neutralizes them and wipes out their ability to use their life and the gifts God has given them. All men fail, even Christians. There is a difference, however, between failing and being a failure. Failing is a condition that can be changed.  Don’t let your failures define and confine you.  Find freedom in Christ’s forgiveness and wisdom in the mistakes to take you into tomorrow with greater confidence and understanding.  Most of all – trust God with your tomorrow!

Scripture to Claim
Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” Joshua 3:5