How to stop living in your past and move forward
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I regret. I used to not have a clear conscious and despised the person staring back at me in the mirror. She was broken, lost, insecure, was a people pleaser and didn’t know her worth.
If you’re wondering how I overcame those things, the answer is simple, I was born again.
You can read more about being born again, here.
Being defined by our past is not what God desires for us. God sees us for who we could be and it’s important we see ourselves that way too.
How to stop living in your past and move forward is crucial for spiritual growth. Allow your past and what God is doing in you to be your testimony to encourage someone else who may be going through the same things you once did.
Ways we live in our past
People who hurt us physically, spiritually and mentally tend to claim a piece of our calloused hearts. Perhaps we find it difficult to trust others because of this or maybe even worse, we hold onto the pain in the form of unforgiveness and bitterness.
One thing that is very difficult to overcome is the way we grew up. The many aspects of our upbringing become our first nature response. If we grew up in a dysfunctional home, most of us carry that dysfunction into our adulthood.
And when we can’t blame others for our own choices, some of us live in our past through our own shame and remorse for poor decisions we’ve made.
How to make peace with your past
Making peace with my past is something that I’ve been able to do. And you too can be set free from whatever is keeping you from moving forward.
First, heed his call. God has a specific calling on your life. Submit yourself unto Him and He will reveal His calling to you. God’s plans for you are good and they don’t involve torment over your past.
Don’t know where to begin? Start here.
Second, seek forgiveness and spiritual growth. Forgiveness is an act of spiritual growth. Forgiving someone who’s hurt you (or forgiving yourself) is not easy to do and we need the supernatural strength that comes from God and the work of the Holy Spirit to truly forgive.
Click here for more on forgiveness.
Finally, accept the past and trust God for your future. Remember, the rest of your story is still unwritten. You are not who you once were and you are not defined by your past. God calls you chosen, forgiven, blessed, redeemed, worthy, blameless, beloved, loved, His masterpiece.
To read more about how to discover your identity, read this.
“Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19
Taking these practical steps will allow you to stop living in your past and move forward into the woman that God created you to be. Don’t look back, look forward.
