Like most people, I faced a lot of challenges in my life. There’s been the normal stuff like the emotional pain of losing someone, and broken relationships.
There has also been a few curveballs. I really didn’t have much stability growing up, and I certainly didn’t have a traditional childhood.
I’m sure that I’ve had it harder than some and easier than others. No one gets through life without a few bumps in the road.
The question is, how do we find a balance of honoring our past history without letting limit or hold us back from moving forward?
Over the last nine weeks, I’ve been taking a study called “Rooted,” it was one I really didn’t want to do, but a lady that I brought to church wanted to take it and didn’t want to do it alone. It Involved bringing up the past, the painful memories I would rather forget, and it opened up a few things I needed to work on to become a better person.
Now I’m a firm believer that nothing can get better until we get to the root cause of the issues we face in life. We can’t let go of the past until we heal from the past traumas we’ve faced.
Letting go of the past, doesn’t mean that we just move on and forget about our history. Our past experiences are a part of who we are, and we will never be able to just sweep them under the rug and forget about it all.
I think that letting go is more about being intentional and deciding what our past means for the future.
We have to acknowledge and processthe past. Recognizing lingering emotions, regrets, guilt, or pain without judgment. I like how Paul puts it in Philippians 3:13-14
“I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Messiah Yeshua.”
We need to forgive and seek forgiveness. Holding onto grudges or shame blocks our progress. Colossians 3:13-14 urges us,
“bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any, even as Messiah forgave you, so you also do. Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.”
Jewish tradition has practices like repentance during the Omer period that emphasizes clearing relational debts for spiritual growth. This is done in the 50 after Passover leading up to the Pentecost.
We can reframe our past spiritually by viewing our past as part of our journey towards wisdom. Psalm 67 speaks of God’s blessings leading to growth, suggesting even hardships can prepare us for a fruitful future. Trusting that God’s sovereignty can transform pain into purposes. Romans 8:28 tells us,
“All things work together for good for those who love God…”
We can set intentions for the future. By shifting focus and defining our goals with it and faith and purpose. By creating small actionable steps, with daily prayer and community involvement or even learning a new skill to build momentum can focus on incremental growth.
We can anchor ourselves in spiritual practices. Regular prayer, reading, scripture, or worshiping, can ground us in the present by reducing the fixation on the past which can give us hope for the future.
Surrounding ourselves with people who encouraged us to move forward, or having an accountability group can help us sustain focus on God’s promises.
Above all, we must practice self compassion. Letting go is a process, not a one time act. Be patient with yourself and rest in God‘s grace. Discipline and self-care is vitally important.
By surrendering our past to God through prayer, forgiving, and setting faith driven goals we can move forward to a future aligned with divine purpose.
From Pity to Praise 