“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
Making Peace with the Past
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.
Lousy Inheritances
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!
DID YOU KNOW?
Our physical brains can actually be reshaped by the things we choose thing about. Our future is in our control!!
Change your thoughts!- Dr. Caroline Leaf is a leading Brain and Learning Specialist; she discusses many things from controlling your thought life to managing emotions.
- 14 day half life on Vimeo Taking thoughts captive. Emotions follow thoughts. Cut unhealthy thoughts (and emotions) off at the source!
Heartsong Ministries 