As I write this it’s Labor Day Weekend, and on the Daily Audio Bible podcast, we started the book of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes is a fantastic passage of scripture to read at this time of year. As the seasons change and we approach the final quarter of the year, it is a good exercise to reflect on life’s journey so far.

I wrote the song “Say Goodbye to Yesterday” very much with the philosophical themes of Ecclesiastes in mind. However, unlike the book’s author Solomon whose revelation was “everything is meaningless”, my conclusions are brighter, and more confident of God’s redemptive heart and ultimate power.

The primary idea of the chorus is to resolve our failures as a means of God’s grace, not to be defined by them. Neither are we to be haunted or stunted by our feelings of shame, but to let our mistakes and regrets go, and move on in the grace of God’s love.

As I wrote in a previous blog post, the idea of “Saying goodbye to yesterday” was from the book “Failing Forward” by John Maxwell [“Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success” ]

The book outlines 15 steps to overcome setbacks. Number seven is to “say goodbye to yesterday.”

We will never make a difference if we allow the past to hold the future hostage.

“To move forward you must learn to say good-bye to yesterday’s hurts, tragedies and baggage. You can’t build a monument to past problems and fail forward.” John Maxwell, Failing Forward

If we can embrace the long term perspective of heaven, we will fulfill the purpose and destiny that God so deeply desires for each of us to obtain.

Life done God’s way truly is meaningful. 

Say Good-bye To Yesterday

Seasons come and seasons go
and round and round this world we go
There is nothing new under the sun
Everything we do – has been done

Generations come and go
we’re young and strong, then weak and old
In vanity we’re chasing after the wind
Every moment keeps passing but never here again

Chorus:
So I say goodbye to yesterday
I’m moving on, it’s time to change
God I need your grace, grace, grace
Lord I need your grace, grace, grace
To change me, to change me

Fame and favor come and go
Like sunshine fades into shadows
Just another chasing after the wind
To dust we are returning – but never here again

Bridge
To everything there is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And there’s a purpose under heaven

Copyright 2002/2011 Rob Still. Rob Still Music (ASCAP)
All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Used by permission.

“Say Goodbye To Yesterday”, from the album “What Words Can’t Say” Available on I-tunes, Amazon and Bandcamp.