How Do We Wisely Use the Past?

There is one thing every person has in common - we cannot change our past.   Many people feel shadowed by their unhappy past and try hard to minimize it, justify it, use it as an excuse for poor choices, or repress it completely.    Others have had blessing upon blessing and are well-equipped to handle life's challenges.   

People who fall into the latter group, no matter how kind life has been, still do not escape unscathed.   Everyone has hurts and pains to some degree, right?    Disappointments, grudges, regrets, grief, failures, heartbreaks, guilt, feeling misjudged, etc.    When someone uses phrases like "raw deal", "hard luck", "tough break", "hot water", "Catch-22" and so forth we can relate since we have "been there" emotionally and psychologically.    

So are the injuries of the past an enemy that keeps us enslaved or can we regain lost ground and come out - not necessarily completely uninjured - but more resilient, more perceptive, and a lot wiser?  

Timothy Keller offers the following prayer, "Lord, you are the ultimate teacher of wisdom.  You sat with your disciples and taught them in parables.  Now help me learn wisdom from my experience."

Proverbs 4:25-26 advises, "Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.  Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways." 

Although we cannot forget the past completely, it is unwise to stay "stuck" in it.   Feelings of resentment and lack of forgiveness are understandable at times, but we must let go of the safety rails (e.g. self-sufficiency, substance abuse, control issues) and surrender to God.  Safety rails may feel safe out of their familiarity; however, they are not really safe and never lead us to a place of security.   

God will take us down a path toward healing and discernment when we let go.  That emotional energy has to go somewhere and since we cannot change history we can only move forward.   The hurt needs a legitimate outlet that is future-focused and filled with hope.  In turn, we can become empowered to turn the "bad" of the past into a force for good toward others and a source of growth for ourselves.    

What safety rails are you hanging onto?   

















Source:  God's Wisdom for Navigating Life by Timothy Keller