So Long Sinful Past.

"If we confess our sins, 

he is faithful and just 

and will forgive us our sins 

and purify us from all unrighteousness."

1 John:1:9

We all have things in our past that we aren't proud of.  Things that we've done and choices that we've made that we are embarrassed to admit.

Those moments pop into my brain more often than they need to and I let them upset me.  Our past sins have a mood crippling effect on us.  To some extent I think it is good to feel regret about bad decisions we've made.  That feeling reminds us that we aren't happy with how we behaved and that we shouldn't repeat it.

But God didn't create us to live in the past.  He didn't send His son to die for us so that we would sit and dwell on our mistakes.  Jesus came to save us from our sins and help us move toward being better people.

I was a very bratty little girl growing up.  I was sassy and bossy and I lost a lot of friends.  I treated people poorly and the thing I cared most about was benefiting myself.  I said horrible things to people and about people and I'm ashamed of the way I let my words hurt others.

When I think back to who I was, I feel a lot of regret and embarrassment.  Then satan sneaks in and tries to tell me that I haven't changed and to be honest, there are times that he convinces me that he's right.  I let him tell me that I'm still not very nice and that I don't deserve to have good friends.

Then God.

God in all of his magnificence scoops me up, dries my tears, and reminds me that I am a daughter of the King.  I'm washed of all of my past sins and I am worthy of the riches in heaven.

Do you ever live in the past?  Do you play something over and over again in your mind until you are convinced that you are the worst person on earth?

On Sunday my Pastor so beautifully said, "No one looks in the rearview mirror when they're driving.  You glance back every once in a while to see where you've gone, but you aren't going to get where you're going unless you are looking ahead."

It's true.  If we pay so much attention to the things that have gone wrong in our lives, we are missing the opportunity to look ahead and receive God's blessings.

My prayer today is that we stop lingering in our past scandals and pain.  That we whole heartedly believe God's promise that he forgives us and wants to create a beautiful future for us regardless of our former sins.  I pray that we take tomorrow and make it better than today.

Are you with me?

-Ashley K.