We all have a past we would like to forget. Oftentimes, this is not a short journey and takes a lot of intentional effort on our part. This is a short encouragement for you that the journey is worth the effort.

You Have To Forget The Past

You have to forget who you once were to become who God has made you to be now.

“And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was chosen. And Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, “Where is he?” And the Lord answered, “He is hiding among the baggage.” So they found him and brought him out.”

1 Samuel 10:20-22

Do not hide among your baggage because baggage is heavy and will only weigh you down as you try to walk with God. Imagine you are trying to run to a destination and you are carrying a 300lb (150kg) bag from your past and you don’t even know how it got so heavy. The enemy slips into your baggage through rejection, trauma, and unforgiveness. After a while, it begins to feel like you are getting nowhere or walking on a treadmill instead of walking with God.

Let that baggage go and run free. Draw close to God because He has cleansed you and made you new. Jesus Christ has offered to take that weight off your back. You have been made new. You simply need to forget who you once were and rely on the fact that Jesus Christ saved you.

Your Past Doesn’t Define You.

Your past doesn’t define you, it defines your testimony.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life has gone; a new life has begun.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

We have all met that person who within the first five minutes of meeting them, they have told you everything that happened to them. They are proud of their past pain and difficulties and carry it around the present with them. Don’t wear your past like it is a badge. You have been made new. You are cleansed and you have a testimony.

Use your testimony as a weapon against the enemy instead of an excuse for the enemy. Don’t exchange satan’s shame for God’s glory. Use your testimony to flip his torment into God’s comfort. The devil may ask you, weren’t you an alcoholic? You can say yes I was but now, I’m sober. He may ask you, weren’t you struggling with your identity? You can say yes, but now I know I am a child of God. Satan might say but you struggled with anger. You can say I did but now I dwell in the peace of the Lord that passes all understanding.

The Time Is Now

“For God says, “At just the right time I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, the right time is now. Today is the day of salvation.” “

2 Corinthians 6:2

If you are waiting to get perfectly clean and become a perfect Christian before God uses you, you will never get used by God because you can never be perfect. Your social status, past, what you are struggling with, how you grew up, what you are addicted to now do not interfere with how God wants to use you. God wants you. He wants to use you now and He will use you no matter what baggage you carry because He loves you just as you are. God is ready now. It is such a blessing to be used by God.

What We Need To Do

Some of you might be thinking, cute message but you don’t know my past. You don’t know what I did or what I said. God is ready. Let God use you. If God forgave you, you can forgive yourself too. Don’t put a limit on yourself that God did not put on you. God is the one who decides when you are ready.

“Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the Heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us.“

Philippians 3:13

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