Many of us continue to be haunted and bothered by our past, particularly things that we'd rather bury into the ground and forget. But how do we really deal with our past when it tries to catch up with us?

Chased by a ghost

Our past, whether we like it or not, is part of our lives. We wouldn't be where we are today if it weren't for what happened yesterday.

To some, that thought brings with it tons of regrets. To others, a myriad of things to be thankful for. But whether we're the former or the latter depends on how we respond to our past.

The past will always come and chase after us, simply because we have what we call the human memory. We will remember what we did and what happened to us, even going decades back.

Some of these memories will be pleasant to remember; some of them painful and akin to a nightmare. And the only thing that separates one from the other is forgiveness.

Forgiveness?

Yes, God's forgiveness. We need to realize that God's forgiveness is the key to making past painful memories and experiences a reason to be thankful.

While God's forgiveness doesn't erase the past, it erases the guilt and the condemnation that we may feel because of them. His forgiveness takes away the heaviness that we feel due to the weight of our sin, and the shame that's caused by our life before being saved.

The Bible tells us that the devil comes only to steal, kill, and destroy us (see John 10:10). This enemy of ours is a master at condemning us for our sin. He will condemn us so we will not be able to live a free life today.

The God who loves us, on the other hand, is the Master of forgiving our sins and forgetting them (see Isaiah 43:25; Hebrews 8:12). He does not condemn us (see Romans 8:1); rather, He will convict us of our sin so we can confess and repent of them, and then He will convict us of righteousness so we can live clean in His sight (see John 16:8-9; 1 John 1:7).

Dealing with the past

If we haven't repented and asked God's forgiveness for our past sins, then we can be sure that the past will always haunt us. But if we have confessed and repented of our sins before God, we are assured of forgiveness and freedom from condemnation.

God saw our pasts; it's not hidden from His sight. Still, He loved us so much that He sent His only Son so that while we were still sinners, He would die for us (see John 3:16; Romans 5:8).

Let us allow God's forgiveness to set us free from the shame and pain of the past.

"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36)

Repent, accept God's forgiveness, and live in the freedom that Christ Jesus gives.