When we decide to change, we need to let go of our past and give it to God, but that doesn’t mean that we get to forget about our past, let alone expect others to forget about our past.
Remembering our past helps to mold our future because we need to make amends and forgive what is behind us if we genuinely want to be free. Simply saying, I give it to God doesn’t mean that we give it to God.
We need our past so that we can unpack it, recognizing the errors of our doings, as well as forgiving the errors of others. It is what allows us to give it to God.
Time and practice are necessary to open the door to freedom from what haunts us. We have to let it out, share who we were, what we were, and let others see who and what we are now.
Our struggles of yesterday will help us grow today, knowing that there is a better way to live and that we have a choice to be different while acknowledging who we are and who we were.
If we deny our past, we are subjecting ourselves to the return of unwanted experiences as we face landmines or triggers set off by those that don’t know us now. Acknowledging who we allowed us to show others who live as we were how we now live better, but only if we acknowledge who we were and who we are.
To let go of our past acknowledges we have a past, and handing it to God gives us the freedom to accept our past, knowing that we have the opportunity for a different future and are ready to walk a different path.
Not only that, denying our past keeps it returning as we have situations that will come up that we cannot avoid. Acknowledging it takes power away from our past and keeps us focused on the now. Giving it to God, frees us to let Him take on our struggle.
Letting go of our past, giving it to God allows us to free up valuable time that we spend trying to cover up our past, which we do when we don’t acknowledge our past. It means that being open allows us to embrace the opportunity to help others who struggle to see that just because we have a past doesn’t mean we have to live in the past. That there is hope that we can live a different way.
Let go of our past and give it to God!