By Pastor Anthony Scott
The first day of your future will occur when you are finally able to leave your yesterdays behind. For so many, the hindrance to fulfillment in life is that they have never had their Day of Release (DOR). Until this moment or day happens we remain captives to our past. Reaching this point like most advances in life is much easier said than done.
Leaving our yesterdays behind requires examining those attitudes which perpetuate yesterday’s problems. It necessitates being set free from debilitating characteristics that have hindered our progress for much too long. When we discover God’s process for letting go, seek God’s answers for our dilemmas, and realize that through Christ we really can be break free from the tears of the past we become poised to enjoy the future God has in store.
The sobering reality we all must come to grips with is that Christians aren’t perfect, nor do we all experience a sense of peace. Yes, we have peace with God by virtue of our being delivered from the penalty of sin, but we still struggle with the peace of God in everyday life. In fact, many believers are just plain miserable feeling as if there is a great weight around their necks which prevents them from pressing on. We must come to understand that God uses processes to change our lives. God has a way of allowing us to understand the past, deal with our past, and leave it behind as we pursue a life significantly freed from the pain we have lived with for so long. He not only provides forgiveness for personal sins committed but emotional healing from sins committed against us.
Any of our attempts to deal with our shame and emotional baggage apart from His provision will always fall short. This is why God gives us grace for the journey. At the heart of God’s grace is mercy and forgiveness. Until we accept His mercy along with His method for letting go, we remain prisoners of our past. When a prisoner is pronounced free, he or she never actually experiences freedom until they step out of prison and exercise the privileges that accompany this new position.
Leaving Yesterday Behind requires Taking Ownership. Taking ownership is important. We may not be responsible for what has happened to us growing up, but we are responsible for what we do now. Leaving Yesterday Behind requires Taking Aim. We must take aim and evaluate the things we have done, the things that have been done to us, and the situations that have caused us pain. Leaving Yesterday Behind also requires Learning to Take Action. We must develop a plan of action to take on problems and deal with them in a biblical manner. It’s not a quick fix; it is a way of restructuring life in a way that fosters growth that will last a lifetime.
When we have experienced suffering it is easy to get wrapped up in our circumstances and the resulting damage done in our lives. In those seasons when life situations cause us to lose perspective, there is a place in the sanctuary of His presence where perspective can once again be found.
Begin living today with tomorrow in view by Learning to Leave Yesterday Behind. Let Go and Let God Heal!
Pastor Scott
