Back in High School, I was always known as the "Bible Boy". In case you're not with the times, that's a derogatory label to stick on someone. I spend all four years trying to be a good person, but this only turned me into an outcast. Because of this, I began to blame these derogatory actions on my lack of faith. As the students of my school pushed me further away, my faith in God began to fade. What was I supposed to do? I expected God to use me and reach these students, but nothing happened.

It wasn't until my final year in High School that I realized my flaw. I did good things for people and told them I was a Christian if they asked me, but I never had a relationship with the God I claimed I believed in. My relationship with God began here. I hated the person I was, but somehow I knew that God wanted me to forget my past and move on to the future, because he had better plans for me. This concept of forgetting my past was not easy though. Because of my high school years, I was always hesitant to speak to people about God because I had a tremendous fear of rejection. Then God showed me Matthew 5:10 (Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.) and my eyes where opened. It was never supposed to be what I wanted but what God wanted. My fear was not the fear that I would disappoint God, but fear that I would make a fool out of myself.

Well, it's been a few years and I've hit some rises and falls in my relationship with God, but now I am confident that God will be pleased with me, as long as I live for Him. I no longer hate myself for my past, but see it as a mistake that I've learned from. I don't think I'd be where I am today if it wasn't for the past that I've walked. I thank God that although it was a bad time in my life and I may not have believed fully in Him, He was still there with me and still accepted me when no one else would. Praise God!

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Focus on this one thing, forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus is calling us. Philippines 3:13-14

Can you walk forward while looking backward? Probably, but how many times will you run into something or possibly trip and fall? How much longer will it take you to get to your destination?

I think as followers of Christ, dwelling on our past mistakes is a lot like looking back while walking forward. Satan probably laughs gleefully every time a Child of God reflects on their sins. I say this because every time I have ever thought about my sinful past I always ended up in a blue funk of remorse and sorrow for my mistakes; feelings that only the Devil can be happy to oblige us with.

But, I think I have learned how to get Past the Past. The most important thing (thanks to my Savior) was being able to repent of those sins. But, what got me past the past, was truly believing in God's promises. He says that he will welcome us back with an embrace of faithful love that remains and blessings that will never be broken.

God wants us, he seeks us and he has a positive future for us. So I believe we shouldn't waste time on dwelling over the past. It will only hinder our journey towards our future and the peace and joy we have with the Lord. Rejoice and embrace God's love and forgiveness; leave the past where it belongs and seize the future.

Believe and see the Glory of God. John 11:40

Psalms 103:12

Isaiah 54:10

Micah 7:8-9

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Read Genesis 37 and Genesis 45

The story of Joseph is one of the most detailed stories in the book of Genesis. Unlike the stories of Abraham and Noah, the story of Joseph carries us through most of his life. While the story has many themes, one of its most poignant is the theme of forgiveness. Perhaps, God put such a spotlight on forgiveness because he knew it would be such a hard lesson for us to learn.

Joseph was his father's favorite and his father treated him so. This mad his brother's mad and they conspired to kill him. Instead, they sell him to a passing slave caravan. Joseph is betrayed by his brothers. He becomes a slave and even a prisoner for a time. He had many reasons to resent his brothers and their treatment of him.

But Joseph's fate is not in his brother's hands. God allows some bad things to happen to Joseph, but he a causes many good things to happen to him as well. Joseph rises to a high position in Egypt (almost unheard of for a non-native) and builds a home for himself there.

When his brothers reappear later in his life Joseph has to decide how he will treat them. He is very powerful. His brothers would be helpless to defend themselves if Joseph ordered their imprisonments or even deaths. Joseph decides to treat them generously. Rather than punish them for what they did to him, he invites them to Egypt, provides them with quality land and animals, signs of wealth in the ancient world. Joseph shares his prosperity with men who once plotted his murder.

Why? What would you do? Modern society would not be so forgiving; neither would Joseph's society, for that matter. The answer is told to us by Joseph himself in Genesis 45:4-8. Verse 8 specifically says, "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God..." Joseph recognized God's hand in his life and realized that nothing could have happened without God's will. In that way, the hardships he suffered were not at his brother's hands at all, but God plan for a greater purpose.

When reconciling your past, look for God's purpose. Understanding his plan for your life helps you be more forgiving.

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Imagine getting past the past...

There have been times where I hold myself back. I remember the past and I am ashamed of things that I have done. Thinking back to the time when I really struggled with moving on, I remember that I was very hard on myself. I was unable to forgive myself for the things that I did. I kept running from the truth, and the truth of the matter was that I needed to forgive myself and move on. I knew that God forgave me and I knew that those that I hurt had forgiven me. But, there was still the stumbling block in my way.

For the healing process to run its course, we must be able to move beyond the past. We cannot change it. All we can do is remember it so that we don't repeat it. When I was really struggling to move on, I did not know where to turn. I didn't read the Bible much then, but I decided to do just that, hoping to find some words of wisdom and comfort. What I found truly inspired me.

READ PSALM 32:1-11

I found comfort in this passage because to me, it shows that if you are sincerely remorseful about past mistakes, God will forgive you. I realized that if God can forgive me, then I should forgive myself. When I did that, a huge stumbling block was removed from my path. It wasn't easy, but I was able to move beyond the past and stop looking back. Trust in God, forgive yourself, and prepare to move forward.

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Getting Past the Past...

Remember in the movie Forrest Gump when Jennie was throwing rocks at her old house? She was beaten as a child by her father and now that she has come back to the house she is overcome with emotions and begins throwing rocks at her old house. While she is throwing rocks at the house Forrest looks at her and says "Sometimes there just aren't enough rocks."

Do you ever feel like there aren't enough rocks? The past can be difficult to get over. Are there things in your life that you find to be difficult to get past? I know in my life there have been things that I have found to be difficult to get past. I have come to learn that God wants me to get past the past.

God wants to restore our past and make them new. There is a show on MTV called "Pimp my Ride." In the show they find these old beat up cars that are falling apart. The show is about how they restore these cars. When the people who own the cars get them back they look brand new. God wants to do the same with your life. He wants to take what may be broken and falling apart and He wants to restore it. I know in my life I have seen the Lord take my old, beaten up life and make it new.

Are you willing to allow the Lord to make your life new? If you are willing He is able.

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