When we don’t deal with the past, we end up carrying it around with us. It can feel like a heavy weight, and it can stop us from entering the future that God has planned for us. The Bible says: ‘Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith’ (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV). But throwing off the things which are holding us back can be easier said than done. It can be difficult to let go of the past. Sometimes we’ve been really hurt, disappointed, or angry. And it’s not as simple as just forgetting what happened. Before we can ‘throw off everything that hinders’, we’re going to need to deal with it. That might take some time, and it might take us talking to someone we trust about what we’ve been through. It also takes us bringing every piece of our past to God. We need to let Him into the places that hurt. He’s gentle with us, and won’t make us deal with things faster than we can manage. But we need to open up to Him and be willing to deal with emotions, thoughts, and experiences which we might prefer to push down and forget about. Jesus came so that we could have freedom. The Bible says: ‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery’ (Galatians 5:1 NIV). Let’s not be slaves to our past. It shouldn’t have the power to stop us from doing all the things God’s created us to do. 

What Now?

Do you need to deal with your past? Take the first step today by opening up to God and asking Him to help you start to deal with the things you’ve been through.