Let the past be the past! – Dee Adekugbe
You have to come out of the imprisonment of your past. Your past might have been adulterated but your future remains a virgin. Your yesteryears may bear the ugly stains of misery but the stains ought to pass with the past. In Christ, your tomorrow is uncontaminated. Your future bears no stain. You must not be nailed in the coffin of your past setbacks. For sure, the chapter of your future is not closed until you close it yourself.
The total message of the resurrection is that something that was dead can come back to life. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. You must pick up courage. God believes in your glorious future, you too should. Don’t be the one standing in your way of happiness and joy by giving the past power over your present and your future.
No matter how long things have been wrong in your life, you can make them right. It’s important to hold positive expectations in your mind. The things you say to yourself every day lift you up, or hold you down. The pain of the past will keep you in its grip unless you get your control back.
In Isaiah 43:18-19, the Lord promised to do a new thing in Israel, but Israel must do her part. God calls her to forget the past. Often it is this strong tie with the past that causes many to stagnate. Satan fears your future so much; he would want to tie you to your past. Satan knows it is God who planned your future. He is afraid it will be fulfilled. God made your eyes in front not behind so that you can look towards your future not backward. You can’t create bright new futures without moving beyond the past.
The past, despite its impact on you, has become a story, and you can write a new chapter to reflect the future life you want to have, instead of telling the same old tale over and over again. There’s a saying that when one door closes, another opens. Life happens in stages, and there’s always potential for new growth and contribution, whether you chose the change or it was thrust upon you. Move into your next stage with a lighter load, and your new creations will happen more quickly and you’ll enjoy them that much more.
If you’ve ever heard a sermon about the walls of Jericho, the spies, or the woman who saved their necks, you heard a reference to Rahab the prostitute. Not Rahab, but Rahab the prostitute, as if that’s her full name. Circumstances and people may want to remind you of your past but refuse to be tied down by it. They may call you the same old names but the choice to live beyond the past lies in your hands.
When Rahab helped the Israelite spies, her life changed with that encounter—both spiritually or vocationally. She saw an opportunity to express her belief in the God of the Hebrews, and she experienced faith and grace. We don’t know how old she was when this changed occurred but she changed anyway! A great future lies ahead of you if only you will move beyond the failure and disappointments of the past and forge ahead!