Don't Allow Your Past to Rob You

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

So many people are living a life of regrets thinking, “If only…?” “If only I had that college education… If only I had married the right person… If only I had taken another job… If only I had not made that stupid mistake.”

So, the question is, “Is your past robbing you of the joy of today?” If so, then you’ve got to forget your past. I know that’s easier said than done. And I’ve counseled many people over the years that said, “But Pastor Don, you do not know what I have done in the past.”

I always share with that individual about the Apostle Paul and his past and how he dealt with it. If the devil had anything to bring against Paul, it would be reminders of how he had persecuted the early church and caused the death of many, including Stephen, the first Christina martyr.

Paul had done horrendous things that were hard for him to forget. But he had such a revelation of God’s awesome forgiveness that he could say, “forgetting those things which are behind… I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Friends, God has forgiven you of all your sins. He has completely forgiven you and declared, “Your sins and lawless deeds, I will remember NO MORE” (Hebrews 10:17)

Like Paul, you can forget your past, the wrongs you have done and the hurst you have caused others or been through yourself. God can take the tears of yesterday and transform them into the miracles of tomorrow. He can restore to you in all abundance what you have lost. He can cause all things, even the painful events of your past, to work together for your good. (Romans 8:28)

God’s word says, “The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard” (Isaiah 58:8). His glory will COVER your past. Wherever you go, His glory COVERS your past. It is no longer the same past that you knew of because His glory has descended on it. Your past is PAST. It has been wiped out. It is GONE. So don’t allow your past to rob you of today’s joy any longer. The joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). What a powerful revelation to have. Glory to God.