Making peace with your past

We are the sum total of everything we have experienced – both good and bad. We can engage in wishful thinking and imagine that our past negative behaviour had never occurred, or we can decide to accept the reality of it. How we choose to respond to the past will determine our destiny. We have all sinned, and we either responded by asking for God’s forgiveness and going forward, or we are still stuck in guilt. Indeed, we may actually develop anxiety about possible consequences. Many people are plagued with jealousy because of their own infidelity or prior indiscretions. They live in fear that one day they will reap what they have sown. Some have even resorted to verbal and physical abuse of their partners in order to ward off what they feel will be inevitable. When we repent, we must believe God’s Word: “Their sins…I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17 NIV). God doesn’t remember confessed sin, so we need to stop rehearsing it. God doesn’t want to hear about it ever again: “When sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices” (Hebrews 10:18 NLT). Once is enough. There is no need to repent continually. To do so is to offer another “sacrifice.” Too many people sacrifice the rest of their lives on the altar of remorse over past transgressions. Yes, you should make every effort to line up your life with the requirements of God’s Word. And when you’ve done that, then stand on this scripture: “The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.”