Putting the Past Behind You

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:18-19

A former co-worker did a really practical thing with her kids every year at Christmas. Before they could receive new presents, they had to donate some of their older things. What a wise mommy!

That sounds so simple; get rid of the old to make room for the new. But in reality it was a painful ordeal. A few weeks before Christmas she would take each child to his or her room for the annual de-cluttering. They would talk about the wonderful gifts the child was about to receive and also how their donations would be such a blessing to another child who might not have anything. They went into the adventure with excitement, but that quickly drained.

One by one toys were pulled from the toy box and the child was faced with a decision: to keep or not to keep. Sometimes the struggle was intense, "But Mommy, I can't get rid of this toy!" Unfortunately, that scenario played out with nearly every toy in the box.

My very wise friend would respond, "That's fine, honey. You can keep all of your toys, but you won't be able to get that shiny new so and so you wanted for Christmas." Most of the time the child was more than willing to let loose of an older toy when the thought of the new one was entertained, but sometimes not and sometimes my friend had to enforce the words she spoke; the child didn't get the expected toy for Christmas. That probably happened all of one time before the lesson was learned.

I remember a similar scenario that played out right before I met my husband. For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a wife and mother and I could hardly wait for the day God would bring Mr.Right into my life. But before he came, God required me to get rid of all my Mr. Wrongs. I'll never forget the day He spoke to my heart, "Bonita, I won't bring your husband into your life until you remove every trace of your old boyfriends. You have to make room for him in your heart and your life."

I gathered up photos, letters, momentos, anything I could find from past relationships and headed for the dumpster in my apartment complex. As I went, I thought of Mr. Right and how I was doing everything to prepare for his arrival, but when I reached the dumpster I had to really stop and think for a minute. I saw the gorgeous artwork one boyfriend had created for me. I saw smiling faces from photos and letters written for my eyes only. Could I really leave the past entirely behind? Did I really want Mr. Right enough to part with the reminders that somebody in this big ugly world had actually loved me at one point in time? Could I let go of that little measure of security? Well, obviously I did and I'm so glad because what I got in return made all that other stuff look like dog poop.

In Isaiah 43:18-19, God reminds us that we have to let go of the past in order to embrace the future. Whether the past was a terrible, sinful life or an absolute joy, God doesn't want us to dwell there. As long as we hang on to the past or focus our attention there, we will miss what God is doing right now in our lives. Focusing on the past will actually blind our eyes, but God wants our eyes open so we don't miss the wonder of this moment. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

Sometimes we pray and ask God for things and wonder why they don't show up. Maybe God is saying, "Clean out your toy box and make room for the blessing. Let go of the past so I can give you a dynamite future."

If God is asking you to relinquish your past to Him it's because He has better things in store. Any momentary pain or sacrifice you feel won't even compare to the shiny new thing God is about to do.

Father, give us the courage and the will to let go of the old so we can embrace the new. Help us to trust you with our past, present, and future. Open our eyes to see the new things you're doing in our lives right now and the new opportunities you're bringing our way. Thank you!