Regretting the Past

Haunted by the Past

It’s easy for us to regret things we’ve done in the past. After we place our faith in Christ and are reborn, the hurtful and ungodly things we have done seem far worse than they did before. That’s because we see them more clearly for what they are; ugly, sinful, and destructive.

The enemy loves to jump on that with both feet. He whispers that we’re unworthy of Father’s love, that our hearts are evil, that we are frauds and hypocrites.

Here’s the thing. We are new creations and new creations have no past. Father said that Jesus took our sins away, and that in Him God was reconciling us to Himself and not counting our sins against us. What’s more, He is not keeping a record of our sins and chooses not even to remember them!

The enemy, however, is not called the accuser for nothing. He brings up our past all the time and that leads to regret, doubt, and shame. But those things are not from Father.

If we are drawn to apology, restitution, and reconciliation toward those we’ve hurt, we can do that, of course. That’s good and godly. In some cases, though, we may be unable to do that. Sometimes even an attempt at trying to reconcile may be met with rejection.

So, we can also just get on with our lives, walk by faith and leave the fixing to Father. He will surprise us with what He does. In time, He may reveal an opportunity for apology, restitution, or reconciliation. Or that may never happen.

Either way, we remain safe in Him, loved by Him, and His righteous and holy children.