A preacher friend of mine once became involved in a very bitter church conflict. One of the individuals concerned was determined that it be not forgotten, so she published a book about it. The preacher was immortalized in print as the well-meaning bad guy of the story. The author insisted that he had prevented God’s will from being done and that ‘their side of the story needed to be told.’ Since it was published before the age of E-books, copies had to be sought out. My friend said that he never did receive a signed complimentary copy, despite being the protagonist—albeit under a made-up name.
Everyone carries baggage from the past. How we deal with it has a direct bearing on the present and the future. But as obvious as the constant retelling of past hurts and disappoints are, the consequences of doing so are not always taken seriously.
The long list of emotional triggers must be audited. You must start by “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1Pet.5:7).
No one is suggesting that evil be thought good. What is true is true. If repentance is in order, repentance must be expected. If accusations of fault are proposed, their veracity must be ascertained and sorted out.
Whatever the past, Jesus calls us to a future beyond this world. We and this sin-sick world have a use-by date stamped on us. Somewhere in heaven is a calendar with a circle around the date of Jesus’ return. It is for that day that your todays are calibrated. Thus, careful consideration must be given to any thoughts and feelings carried over from the past. Past inventory can add a lot of extra weight to your already heavy load. It is not impossible to build a life that highlights your future over the past. Filling today with godliness weakens the power of the evil past.
Paul told Timothy:
“Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed” (1Tim.6:18-19).
John Staiger
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