Healing the Past

"This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only he can see."

Corrie Ten Boom

Like it or not, our past is part of us. It doesn’t have to define us or limit us. But hiding it, denying it or trying to run from it is a losing proposition. Those old sayings:

• Let sleeping dogs lie

• Don’t cry over spilled milk

• Leave the past in the past.

  …are no more truth than “Sticks and stones will break my bones but names can never hurt me.” Words are powerful and so are our heritages. Harsh words may actually be harder to redeem than horrible heritages.

  But there is nothing that cannot be transformed by God. Buried deep in the Old Testament is a verse that inspired me as I grappled with redeeming the past.

  Joel 2:25 says, “I, the LORD your God, will make up for the losses caused by those swarms and swarms of locusts…”

  My family heritage was not as bad as the yuck I created for myself, but I had a past that needed to be redeemed!

  No matter why we have things we don’t like in the past, we need to let God redeem the ugliness. Each day His mercies are new, and He sets before us a choice:

  Life or Death; Blessing or Curse.

  It is our choice! Let’s look at how.

I hear you, reader, saying, “You do not know what I have been through.“ You are right. I do not know your situation, but I know the God of whom I speak. I know what He has done in me, for me.

Whatever you have faced, whatever you have done, it can be transformed into golden potential. That is a bold statement in a world with some ugly realities: rape, murders, beatings, child abuse. There is horrible evil done every day. Denying that fact is as dangerous as burying the reality of awful happenings endured.

• Anger
• Grief
• Hatred
• Jealousy

Those ugly emotions that get stuffed inside are like a seeping poison that power continued evil on a hidden level. The lousy inheritance must be faced head-on to remove its power. You will find some resources on the right that might help you work through the yuck. Find friends who will walk through the mess with you or seek professional counseling.

But the only way out is through!

For every problem, there are many ways to try to 'fix' it. Many addictions find their roots in buried hurts. Alcohol and drugs dull the pain but never provide a solution. Revenge seems like a great start to healing, but it just fuels the pain.

Then there are the 'other-world' answers: spirit guides, crystals, potions or mediums. The promise for secret knowledge to solve the problem is almost irresistible. Except, God clearly says to stay away from those things. They do have power. But it is power from the evil one and will only suck you lower.

Perhaps worst of all are the well-meaning do-gooders who say "Pray about it." Or "all things happen for a reason." It does not help to give trite phrases. And it can be a great harm. If the King of Kings fails, it is beyond disheartening. SOOO....what have you tried that you want to warn others away from?

• Your Past is Part of you
• Your Past is NOT all of you
  
• The Past is a launching pad
• The Past is not a limit
  

• A Good Future is possible!
  

Healing the past is the platform for living a life that leaves a better legacy for those who follow. What has been done is not un-done…it is simply de-powered. There are only two primary choices in life: faith in the goodness of God or fear that comes from feeling like we are on our own. Faith in an all-powerful Father who will not allow anything in our lives He can not transform for good gives peace and hope.

What legacy do you want to leave? What do you want the ‘Dash’ on your tombstone to represent?

What do you need to move into living that legacy?

You have been provided with all you need. Do you know that? The way to receive it is to know to be friends with, Jesus Christ.

His names tell you who He is and what He is like. Spend time getting to know Him by name.

It is my personal joy to walk with folks to victory, and I welcome your emails. There is a victorious, hope-filled life available. Walk through the valley and into the light of Christ!