Burn the Ships

There is a famous story about Alexander the Great that has been told for generations. Before one great battle, as his army approached the shore, he ordered his men to burn their own ships. There would be no turning back. No option to run back to what was familiar. If they were going home, they would have to go forward—and they would have to go forward by taking their enemy’s ships.

The odds were not in their favor. Their enemy was stronger. But burning the ships changed something in the hearts and minds of the men. They knew there was no going back, so they pressed forward and fought hard and won.

Sometimes, we have to burn the ships in our own lives. There are seasons when moving forward requires us to make a decision that leaves no room or opportunity to go back. We have to let go of the past and refuse to keep looking over our shoulder at what we have already left behind. 

It is hard to step into something new while constantly longing for something old. That doesn't mean your past didn't matter. It doesn't mean there weren't good things there. And it certainly doesn't mean you forget what you've learned along the way. It simply means you recognize that where you've been is not where you're going. There is a reason your windshield is so much larger than your rearview mirror. You need to see where you're going more than you need to see where you've been.

Moving on is a sure way of receiving your victories and inheriting your promises.

Life will give you plenty of reasons to look back. There will be disappointments, failures, regrets, losses, and difficult seasons that try to convince you that your best days are behind you. But looking back too long can keep you from seeing what is right in front of you. The enemy would love for you to live in yesterday.

But God is always calling us forward. There are promises ahead. There are victories ahead. 

So burn the ships. Take your eyes off the rearview mirror. Fix your eyes on what is ahead. Let go of what needs to be left behind, and step into the new day God has prepared for you.

There is nothing behind you that is greater than what God has ahead of you.

The Best Is Yet to Come,

Buren Goss