Ezekiel 18:22 (NLT), “All their past sins will be forgotten and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.”
In a previous blog back in early January, I talked about how your past mistakes don’t dictate your future. This is a very true statement and one that I can personally attest to. Because of God’s grace and mercy we are all able to move past the mistakes we’ve made and become all God calls us to be. But this doesn’t mean we forget the past mistakes. No, we have to learn from those past mistakes and use them to shape us into the person we are made to be. Without this key step, we are destined to repeat those mistakes. Without using them as a means for growth, we risk stopping the growth God has planned for us.
The tough part is to learn from the past but not get stuck in the past. Many times you don’t know when to move on from the past. You still feel there are lessons to be learned so you stay there longer than you should. You hold on to the pain, the discomfort and the hurt far longer than necessary. Instead of using the past to help shape a better you, the past is now defining the person you are.
I know it’s a tough place to be in because I’ve been there. During the toughest parts of my life I didn’t know how to move on from past mistakes. Instead of learning from them to become a better version of myself, I held on to the shame and pain thinking that is who I was. I let past sins and mistakes define me. It wasn’t until I got into God’s Word and understood the true meaning of His grace and forgiveness that I was able to move forward. As it says in Romans 3:23 (NLT), “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” When you make a mistake understand God is still there for you. 1 John 1:9 (NLT) tells us, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
That sin you committed is forgotten by God the minute you confess it to Him in your heart. But for you to not repeat that sin you have to learn from it. You have to see the things that led you to committing that past mistake and not repeat them. If you confessed to having a gambling problem, then stay away from the casinos. If you confessed to having a problem with pornography, then don’t watch shows or look at magazines that will tempt you. Whatever the past mistake was, you have to use it to become better. You have to use it to help shape the new person you are in Christ.
Life is tough and you will sin and make mistakes. The response you have to that will determine how quickly you get back on track to becoming who God wants you to be. Don’t let those past mistakes define who you are. Use those past mistakes to help shape a better version of you. The version of you God wants you to be.
Truth In Love! ~ Chuck