When The Past Tries to Interrupt The Present
Remember that decision you made that felt like the worst mistake of your life? Or those words you said that hurt someone? Or that abuse that left you broken? Or those boundaries you never had which led to you being walked on, overworked, and continuously hurt? I know we all can pull from one or all of these categories. Or maybe you have other things from your past that have tried to take your identity and place a label on you.
I certainly do. Many things at that.
I’ve had experiences in my life that gave me many names outside of “Tiffany”. Names that I allowed myself and others to place on me.
But then God reminded me of who I am. He reminded me that I am. “I am fearfully and wonderfully made..” - Psalm 139:14. The key word here is “I am” not “I was”. Many times we focus on who we were before “life” happened to us. Before the hurt. Before the depression. Before the pain. Before the abuse. Before the bullying. Etc. But God says we still are beautiful and wonderful. No matter what.
You see, shame and guilt are powerful feelings from the enemy. He wants us to sit in them because it keeps us from moving forward. Our movement forward also will help us help others, which he doesn’t want. I know you’ve likely heard many say “Let it go” but it’s really not that easy is it? So what do you do when your past keeps trying to poke it’s head in to disrupt your present?
Acknowledge it. Acknowledging you see what the enemy is doing takes it out of the dark and allows you to have power over it. Once you see the problem, you can then work towards fixing it. If you find yourself harboring over the past again, take a moment to think about what led to it. Think about your emotional state. If it’s connected to negative thoughts, they are not from God.
Pray about it. Prayer works y’all. Pray for surrender to Him. Pray for peace over your mind, body and soul. Pray for healing. Pray for Him to turn your pain into purpose- however He sees fit. Let Him carry the burden that we were never meant to carry.
Remember the work you’ve done. Remember the healing you had. Do you remember talking to others about it and the peace that came with it? Do you remember how far you’ve come? How God pulled you out of your own pit or the pit someone else put you in? Often, we say don’t look back, but in this case, you need to see God’s fingerprints. See how He revived you. How He saved you. How He made you whole again. **If you haven’t done this work yet, I highly recommend reading different Bible plans on healing, peace, and trusting in God. Start there. And when you’re ready, talk to someone about what you’ve been through, done, and are feeling.
Friends, let me remind you that we can’t change our pasts, but we can change who we are giving it to. If your past is interrupting your peace, try the steps above. I promise you will start to feel the heaviness lighten and your joy will be restored. Remind the past that the only place it has in your life now is to use it for purpose.
With Love,
TC