Many people struggle with moving on from a haunting past that often feels impossible to run away from. If that describes you then know that God has provided the ultimate way out of a shady past through Jesus Christ.
A person who has issues with the past can often find themselves stuck in a cycle of guilt and shame. Whether it's a broken relationship, problems with certain substances or perhaps even an irreversible mistake or crime, the enemy can place stumbling blocks in our lives that slow us down in the path of experiencing God's freedom.
However, this cycle of unforgiveness is far from what God wants from us. The second commandment commands us to love our neighbours as ourselves. Many times we focus on the "loving our neighbours" part but forget that God also commands us to love ourselves. God has made a way for us to be forgiven and that's through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:24 tells us, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."
The healing that God brings through Jesus is whole and complete. We are promised complete wholeness in Christ if only we believe that He is more than enough to take away every pain - both physical and emotional.
Many people feel it's hard to forget the past because they can feel that their sin still overrides them with guilt and condemnation. Psalm 103:12 declares, "as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us." We no longer need to be stuck in a yoke of slavery. God has made a way for us to experience complete freedom.
There may be times that our past may come back to haunt us, but when we truly understand and have a strong grasp of the message of the gospel, we will know that Jesus and His love for us is greater than any pain or mistake we may have made or experienced in the past. In Jesus, we are accepted, redeemed and reconciled back to the Father.
Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
God abounds in mercy and grace for everyone no matter what you may have done or experienced. God does not see you as trash, but as treasure that is worth exchanging the worth of His Son for. That is how much God loves you despite your messed up past, and all we are called to do is receive His love in surrender and adoration.
