January 1st of each new year seems to bring hope to so many of us because it represents a new start and a new beginning, however if we carry the bricks from our past relationships into the new year, we will end up building the same house that we did last year.
The definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Many women that I have support counseled over the years struggled with letting go of their past relationships, their anger, hurt, feelings of rejection, and anxieties. If they decided to "hold on" to those things, then there was nothing that I could do to help them. They would continue going around the same mountain over and over. Their minds were consumed everyday with negative memories of their past and even though the answer was right under their nose, some decided that they liked staying in the chaos and confusion that was familiar to them. Others decided that they had enough of the past nonsense and wanted to build a new house, a new tomorrow.
First step to freedom from your past "Is Jesus Your Savior? Jesus is absolutely in love with you. He gave everything for you so you can have a relationship with Him and have everlasting life. God designed you to live your life with Him. He wants to lead and direct your life. If you have never asked Jesus to come into your life and give you His direction then pray this prayer:
"God please forgive me for all I have done wrong. I believe you sent your son Jesus to set me free. I want Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. From now on, I am following you. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so I can have the power to change for the rest of my life. Amen!"
Second step to freedom from your past is being willing to forgive the people that have hurt you. Matthew 18:21-22 says "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." Their forgiveness was to know no limits.
Holding onto unforgiveness is like putting poison into your body, it may cause mental, physical and spiritual sickness and can hinder your entire life.
Our sense of fairness tells us people should pay for what they do wrong. Forgiveness is setting a prisoner free. Once you have forgiven, you will discover that the real prisoner who was freed is yourself, not the person who has hurt you.
The Lord promises that forgiveness is possible. Even when hurt seems too great to repair, God tells us "I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh?", Ezekiel 11:19. We experience a heart of stone when we are too angry, too selfish, or too frozen by the pain others have caused us. A heart of flesh, while it may be vulnerable, it is compassionate.
I want to encourage you to let go of the past and grab hold of the present and allow God to lead you into a brighter tomorrow.
