“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
2 Corinthians 5:17
Washed away.
Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you could leave your past behind you? If all of those mistakes, regrets, fears, and disappointments just suddenly fell away, what would you do? What would life be like if that were possible?
The truth is that God wants good things for us, and He wants us to live every day in the freedom we truly have in Him. Yet so often we get wrapped up in where we’ve been and the mistakes and regrets that keep us looking backward rather than forward. We get overwhelmed with who we’ve been and where we’ve been that we forget to focus on who we are becoming and where we are truly going. God is setting us free from the past so we can move forward in confidence.
We can’t move forward if we keep looking behind us. Wherever you have been is not where you are going. We all deal with mistakes, fears, regrets, and disappointments to some degree, but we don’t have to let them steal the joy and hope that are ours in Christ Jesus. Nothing in our past can separate us from the love of God that is given to us through Jesus.
When we allow God to wash away the guilt and regrets and mistakes of the past, we can begin to live in newness of life. God wants you to live in the newness and goodness that Jesus died to give you. You don’t have to plead with God to do that. He’s already done what’s necessary for you to have it. We can walk forward in the confidence of God’s love for us and the mercy given to us.
Embracing the unseen.
There is so much life ahead of us. Too much, in fact, to let the weight of the past distract us from where we are going. We may not always know what’s ahead in life, but we can entrust our future to the One who holds the past and present in His hands. We can also look ahead with expectation while fully embracing where we are right now.
Full of hope. We have the hope of eternal life. As the Scripture says, the weight of eternal glory far outweighs the present struggles of life. Things may not always turn out the way we want them to in this life, but there is an inheritance being stored up for us that outshines every single thing this world has to offer. We have a stable hope in Jesus who does not change. The more our hope is in Him, the less we will be disappointed by the changing seasons and situations in life.
Full of purpose. I love how a quote from John Piper articulates this idea. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” We were made for a purpose, which is to know God and to be known by Him. He created each of us uniquely and loves each of us individually. We don’t have to compare ourselves to each other because we are so radically loved, each one of us, by God and were made specially by Him just the way we are.
Full of joy. When we start letting go of our past and letting God fill up the broken places our of lives, we can start experiencing the joy that comes from a renewed life. We don’t have to fear the future or regret our past. We can live fully in the present knowing that God covers all of our lives with His grace and mercy and love. There is a lot we an step out to do and enjoy when we start trusting God and surrendering to Him.
Full of creativity. I’ve sometimes allowed myself to be stuck in a religious box where I try to everything just right so as not to upset God or draw too much attention to myself. The more and more I experience God’s goodness and love in my life, the more the rigid boxes no longer apply to me. I find that I’ve been gifted by God in special areas of my life, as all of us have been, but there is a lot of freedom in how we live it out and express ourselves. God didn’t create robots, He created people with warm beating hearts and complex minds. He created us as an image of Himself, and we know He is immensely creative. We can choose how we will live, and how we will glorify Him and lift up others by what we’ve already been given by Him.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
1 John 4:18
We can move forward and do a lot of things with our lives if we have the courage to let go of the past and to surrender our present and future to Him.
Takeaway Action/Challenge: What has you beat up today? What has you feeling like you’ve got to fix the past or make your mistakes right? What do you need to leave in the past so you can get on with the good future God has for you? Take some time with the Lord and ask Him to wash away where you’ve been so you can move on in your best life surrendered to Him and enjoy the life He’s given you.
