When you think of mistakes you have made, relationships that you have messed up, money you have blown, or abuse you may have suffered. These things may depress you or bring you down. Those things are not you, your past does not have to be who you are. If they were, that would be like opening a book and reading one page and thinking the entire book is about what you saw on that one page. As a Christ follower, when you received Jesus into your heart, you became a new creation. The scoreboard of your sins got unplugged because of what He did. Our actions in this world have earthly consequences, but none of them can separate us from the love of our Father. He made you, He loves you and He wants to do something great in and through you! It doesn’t matter if you were a drug dealer, prostitute, adulterer, liar, prideful and self-centered, money embezzler, got divorced, pastored a church in self righteous ignorance or committed murder. Jesus loves you illogically and unconditionally! Unfortunately, too many of us get stuck in the story of what we have done, how we were raised and what has stopped us, that we can’t actually understand that we are in fact repeating the same thing over and over again. Know who you are in Christ!
2 Corinthians 5:17
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
God forgave us brothers and sisters, and remembers your sins no more. Jesus paid the price with an excruciating death for you to not have to be condemned for your past. Those negative thoughts from the enemy will only get you back in the same sinking ship with more stories of failure to share. Paul urges us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (Rom. 12:21). Confront your disabling thoughts. Turn them over to God and become who He sees you can be, let Him renew your mind. God is always working in your life even if you can’t necessarily feel it. When you revert to thinking about your past, you put the focus back on yourself… which is why your life was a dumpster fire back then, remember? It has to be all about Christ, live for Him today and live in freedom. Give up all control and let the Lord guide your life and see what happens! Our society may condemn people who have been incarcerated, your friends and family may disown you because of your past, but God can make even bad situations work together for good (Romans 8:28). He will give you whatever you need to be victorious, all you have to do is ask!
Philippians 4:8
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
James 1:5
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
