Moving Forward from the Past

It’s early morning, very quiet, and a dense fog has settled in, which makes boating difficult for those so inclined. I’m not so inclined. I’m sitting in my home office, candlelit, latte in hand, and soft music playing on the echo dot.

In the quietness of the morning, I’ve been pondering and praying; praying and pondering on how to move forward from those things that keep us stuck in the past. I’ve never bought into the idea that our past mistakes make us who we are today so we should have no regrets. That notion is saturated in our culture…take no hostages! Have no regrets! Live your best life! And how is that working for you? For me? We’ve bought into this but obviously, it doesn’t work or we wouldn’t have this gnawing pain in our souls. Why? Because what if…what if the choices you’ve made in the past have hurt others? What if your words, your actions that you thought you needed to say and do so you could live your best life, hindered others from living theirs? How do we move forward from that?

As a Christ-follower, I know there are no formulas for moving forward; only a relationship with Him, with others, and an understanding of His word will help us move forward from our past. Let me break this down on how I’ve done this as perhaps a template for you to engage.

First, acknowledge and own your mistakes. Repent before the Father and anyone you’ve hurt with your words and choices. Keeping your heart pure before the Lord and others is of utmost importance in your life. For years I didn’t know what this actually meant but I do know, and now I fiercely guard my heart and thoughts.

Second, be intentional about forgiving yourself. When your thoughts turn on you and you start condemning yourself, boss your brain and verbally say out loud, “I’m forgiven and today is a fresh start. I’m letting go of the past and moving forward.”

Third, saturate yourself in His word. Know it. Eat it. Breathe it. Infuse yourself with scriptures.

Fourth, focus on gratitude. Give thanks in the midst of your day…the good, the bad, and the ugly. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight. Gratitude releases joy.

There you have it! My “take” on moving forward from your past. It’s a process, not a one and done. Freedom is a journey. Engage the journey and move forward and experience the freedom in your soul that He died for. He loves you so much.

For His Glory,

Julia