It is time to let go of your past for there is a lot to gain from deliberately forgetting those unpleasant past experiences, failures and deep hurts. It is time to resolutely and intentionally reach for your goal of knowing Christ and enjoying His benefits. It is time to move on so that God’s purpose for your life can be fulfilled. Both positive and negative past events help shape your future, and it is good to learn from past experiences. However, dwelling on the unforgiven past is hardly productive as it may easily get you fixated on feelings of shame, guilt, anger, sorrow, regret and resentment. None of these feelings, in fact, nothing in or about your negative past should prevent you from enjoying God’s plan for your life.
Take a cue from Paul who chose to forget all that he suffered- imprisonments, beatings and shipwreck- to focus exclusively on becoming Christ-like. Stop reliving those images, rehearsing those hurts and begin to press forward to reach your goal.
Remember, you were created personally and lovingly by God who knows you intimately: He knows your strengths and weakness, sees your pain, sorrow and tears, knows your past and will weave all your experiences into the purpose that He has for your life.
