Just like joy and happiness, we experience our own measures of pain and sadness throughout life. Sometimes painful memories are easier to recall than happier ones. You get stuck reliving the same painful experience over again and you just can’t let it go.
But God wants you to move on towards the future He has planned (Jeremiah 29:11). It’s a future filled with hope, and in order to move on you have to focus on what’s in front of you and not on what’s behind.
How do I move on and let it go?
First you make a choice. You decide whether or not to move on and you can ask God for the courage to help you break free from the chains of your past. He promises to never leave you (Joshua 1:9) and He is intimately acquainted with everything from your past, your present, and your future. It is God who defines you and your future, not your past.
The next step is harder, because it requires trust. Trusting Jesus and humbly asking that He help you lay at the foot of the cross those parts of your past that you’re struggling with letting go. Acknowledging that holding onto the past is sin because it keeps you from obeying God’s call to move on. This is a huge step and begins with a trusting and repentant heart.
Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” There is mercy at the foot of the cross! There is healing, restoration and freedom; and no matter how bumpy the road is to get there, it is a road worth taking.
Depending on your path, there might other steps the Holy Spirit may prompt you to take. You may be asked to confront feelings of unforgiveness, or to let go of an unhealthy relationship as you explore healthier boundaries. Perhaps it is something deeper, and the time has come to seek help through Christian counseling.
Whatever it is, know that you are more than a conqueror. The Lord is with you and He is for you (Romans 8:31-37 NIV). Whatever you’re holding onto from your past is not worth sacrificing the future your Heavenly Father has planned for you.
Be blessed today!
~Trish
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” ~Isaiah 26:3