Don’t Look Back. Don’t Live Ahead. Learn to Live in the Present With God.
- The Wholy Christian
- Jan 15
- 9 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Most of us don’t say it out loud, but we’re chasing a version of life where our chest isn’t tight all the time. Where we can breathe without bracing for the next bad thing. Where our minds aren’t running laps at 2:00 a.m. replaying old scenes or forecasting new disasters.
And what’s wild is that Scripture doesn’t treat peace like a personality trait. It treats peace like a pathway. There are ways of thinking that keep you stuck in anxiety and scarcity, and there are ways of thinking that open the door to peace and make room for the kingdom of God in everyday life.
A simple way to say it is this. If you want peace, you’ve gotta stop living in two places God never asked you to live: the past and the future.
Looking Back: When the Past Becomes a Prison
A lot of people think “looking back” is just remembering. But the Bible’s warning us about something deeper than memory. It’s talking about dwelling. Clinging. Longing. Replaying. Staying emotionally attached to what God already told you to leave.
📜 Genesis 19:26
“But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”
That verse is short, but it hits hard because it’s more than a moment of curiosity. Lot’s wife didn’t just glance. She looked back in a way that revealed her heart was still there.
And that’s what the past does if you let it. It starts as a memory, then becomes a loop, then becomes a lens. Before you know it, you’re not just remembering what happened. You’re interpreting your whole life through it.
Think about how this plays out in real life.
Maybe you’re the guy who can’t stop replaying the last relationship. Not just “yeah, that hurt,” but day after day, you’re rewatching what you said, what she said, what you should’ve done differently, what you should’ve noticed sooner. You’re not learning anymore. You’re living there. And every time your mind goes back, your heart hardens a little more. You start telling yourself, “This is just how it goes. People leave. Love doesn’t last. I can’t trust anyone.”
Or maybe it’s work. You made a big mistake, got embarrassed, got fired, got called out, got humbled. And even though you’re employed now, every new task feels like it might expose you again. You’re not afraid of the present job. You’re afraid of the old pain showing up again.
Or maybe it’s sin. You repented. God forgave you. But you can’t forgive yourself. So you keep dragging the old version of you into every new season like a ball and chain. You worship, but you feel fake. You serve, but you feel unworthy. You pray, but you feel disqualified.
That’s the “pillar of salt” effect. You’re technically moving forward in time, but you’re stuck in place spiritually and emotionally.
Jesus puts language on this in a way that’s almost blunt.
📜 Luke 9:62
“Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”
Plowing is forward work. It’s future fruit. But you can’t plow straight if you keep looking behind you. In real life, that means you can’t build a healthy marriage if you’re always living in the trauma of your parents’ marriage. You can’t become a steady man if you keep rehearsing the seasons where you were reckless. You can’t walk in your calling if you keep punishing yourself for who you used to be.
📝 The past is either a teacher or a trap. If it’s teaching you, you grow. If it’s trapping you, you freeze.
Living Ahead: When the Future Becomes a Storm in Your Head
If the past traps you in regret, the future traps you in “what if.”
And “what if” never runs out of fuel.
What if I lose my job.
What if the economy crashes.
What if my wife falls out of love with me.
What if my kids turn out messed up.
What if I get hurt again.
What if my health gets worse.
What if I never become what I thought I’d be.
Jesus doesn’t act like tomorrow won’t have problems. He just refuses to let tomorrow steal today.
📜 Matthew 6:34
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
That’s not Jesus saying, “Pretend life is easy.” That’s Jesus saying, “Stop trying to carry tomorrow’s weight with today’s strength.”
Here’s what it looks like when we ignore that.
You’re lying in bed, and nothing is happening, but your body feels like something is happening. Your heart’s beating faster, your jaw is tight, your stomach is turning. Why? Because your mind is already in a future argument you haven’t had yet. You’re already grieving a loss that hasn’t happened yet. You’re already rehearsing the humiliation of something that might never even occur.
And anxiety is sneaky because it feels productive. It feels like planning. It feels like being responsible. But most of the time it’s not planning. It’s spiraling. Planning moves you into action with wisdom. Spiraling moves you into paralysis with fear.
You can see the difference in a simple example.
Planning says, “Money’s tight, so I’m going to make a budget, cut some expenses, and ask for wisdom.”
Spiraling says, “Money’s tight, so I’m going to lose everything, end up broke, disappoint everyone, and fail as a man.”
Planning produces steps. Spiraling produces dread.
📝 Anxiety often isn’t about what’s happening. It’s about living in a future you can’t control.
The Middle Place: Where God Actually Meets You
So if the past can trap you and the future can torment you, where does God lead you?
Right here. Right now.
Not in denial. Not in pretending trouble doesn’t exist. But in grounding your mind in what’s true and walking with Him in the present moment you actually have.
That’s why Paul’s words in Philippians aren’t just “think happy thoughts.” They’re a blueprint for mental discipleship.
📜 Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Notice the first word. True. Not “whatever feels true.” Not “whatever you fear might be true.” Whatever is true.
That alone is a game changer.
Because anxiety thrives on assumptions. Regret thrives on distortions. The enemy thrives on lies. But peace grows when your mind is trained to return to truth.
Here’s a real life parallel.
You text someone you care about, and they don’t respond.
The future mind says, “They’re mad. They’re pulling away. I’m about to get rejected.”
The truth mind says, “I don’t know why they haven’t responded. They could be busy. I’m not going to write a whole story without evidence.”
Or in marriage.
Your wife seems quiet.
The future mind says, “Here we go. Something’s wrong. This is going downhill.”
The truth mind says, “I’m going to ask gently, pray quietly, and not assume the worst.”
Or at work.
Your boss asks to talk.
The future mind says, “I’m getting fired.”
The truth mind says, “I don’t know that. I’ll prepare, I’ll be honest, and I’ll trust God with the outcome.”
That’s the difference between living in what if and living in what is.
The Key That Breaks Anxiety’s Grip: Prayer With Thanksgiving
Paul gets even more practical right before the “whatever is true” passage.
📜 Philippians 4:6–7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Paul doesn’t say, “Don’t be anxious, because anxiety is stupid.” He says, “Don’t be anxious, because you have a better place to put that energy.”
And here’s the part people skip. With thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving isn’t a polite Christian add on. It’s a weapon. It forces your mind to acknowledge reality beyond fear.
If you’re anxious about your marriage, you pray like this.
“Lord, I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going on in us. But thank You that I have a wife. Thank You for what You’ve built. Thank You for every time You’ve carried us. Help me love her well today.”
If you’re anxious about your job, you pray like this.
“Lord, I feel uncertain. But thank You that I’m employed today. Thank You for skills, provision, and open doors. Give me wisdom for what I can control and peace for what I can’t.”
If you’re anxious about your health, you pray like this.
“Lord, I don’t like feeling fragile. But thank You that I woke up today. Thank You that I can still move, still breathe, still seek help. Teach me to steward my body and trust You with my future.”
Thanksgiving doesn’t deny pain. It puts pain in its proper place, under God.
And what’s interesting is that this lines up with what research has been observing for years about gratitude practices and mental health. Gratitude interventions have been associated with reduced anxiety and improved well being across multiple studies and reviews.
📖 Source: Diniz, G., et al. (2023). The effects of gratitude interventions: A systematic review and meta analysis. Read article: (PMC)
📖 Source: Schienle, A., et al. (2025). Effects of gratitude exercises on reducing anxiety: An app assisted “Three Good Things” intervention. Read article: (ScienceDirect)
📖 Source: Choi, H., et al. (2025). A meta analysis of the effectiveness of gratitude interventions. Read article: (PNAS)
📝 Scripture told us first. Anxiety and thanksgiving don’t play well together because thanksgiving pulls you back into the present and reminds your nervous system that you’re not currently under threat.
Living In the Present with God's Peace Isn’t Passive. It’s Practiced.
A lot of people hear “be present” and think it means empty your mind and float through life.
Biblical presence is different. It’s active trust. It’s paying attention to today’s obedience.
Jesus doesn’t ask you to solve the next ten years. He asks you to take the next faithful step.
Present moment peace looks like this in real life.
It’s you sitting in your truck before you walk into the house, choosing not to carry work stress into your living room, praying for patience instead.
It’s you hearing a critical comment and choosing not to replay it for three days, deciding instead to ask, “Lord, what’s true here, and what’s not?”
It’s you waking up with that familiar dread and saying, “I’m not sprinting into the future today. I’m going to handle what’s in front of me with God.”
It’s you getting triggered by an old memory and reminding yourself, “That happened, but it’s not happening right now. I’m safe. God’s here.”
And yes, learning to anchor in the present has a lot in common with what many mindfulness based programs aim to do, and research often shows mindfulness based approaches can reduce distress and anxiety in many settings, even though results can vary by person.
📖 Source: Galante, J., et al. (2023). Systematic review and individual participant data meta analysis of mindfulness based programs and distress. Read article: (Nature Mental Health)
📖 Source: Hofmann, S. G., et al. (2017). Mindfulness based interventions for anxiety and depression: A meta analytic review. Read article: (PMC)
The difference is that Christians aren’t just practicing presence to calm down. We’re practicing presence to abide in Christ. We’re not just trying to manage symptoms. We’re learning trust. We’re training our minds to live under the leadership of God.
A Simple Way to Catch Yourself When You Drift
Here’s a practical tool you can use when you feel yourself sliding into the past or sprinting into the future.
Ask yourself one question. “Where am I living right now?”
If you’re living in the past, you’ll notice it sounds like:
“I can’t believe I did that.”
“I should’ve known better.”
“I miss how it used to be.”
“I’ll never be the same.”
If you’re living in the future, you’ll notice it sounds like:
“What if this goes wrong?”
“I’m not going to be okay.”
“What if they leave?”
“I’m going to lose everything.”
Then bring it back to what is true right now.
Right now, you’re breathing.
Right now, God hasn’t left you.
Right now, you can pray.
Right now, you can take the next faithful step.
Right now, you can thank Him for something real.
That’s not cheesy. That’s discipleship.
Final Thought
Peace isn’t found by rewriting your past or controlling your future. It’s found by trusting God in the only place you’re actually alive: the present.
Don’t look back the way Lot’s wife looked back, clinging to what God told you to leave. Don’t live ahead the way anxiety wants you to, suffering imaginary pain on credit. Stay here with Jesus. Think on what’s true. Pray about what’s real. Give thanks in the middle of it. And let the peace of God guard your heart and mind like He promised.
Ask Yourself:
Where do I drift most, the past or the future, and what usually triggers it?
What’s one fear about tomorrow I’ve been carrying today that I need to hand to God in prayer?
What’s one specific thing I can thank God for right now, even if my situation isn’t where I want it to be?
Join the Discussion:
When you catch yourself spiraling into the past or the “what ifs,” what helps you come back to living in the present with God?
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