Do negative events define who you are?

Well, 2013 seems to be shaping up nicely.  I haven’t broken any resolutions yet {because I didn’t make any Ha!}  Safer that way.

I love a new year.  The past year is still fresh in my mind.  Good memories to hold dear as well as mistakes to learn from and move on. 

Our Pastor had a wonderful teaching last Sunday about not letting past negative events continue to have a hold on our lives.  These events could be bad memories of things done to us or things we’ve done to others or mistakes we’ve made.  Or even ‘coulda, shoulda, woulda’s’.  The memories have a way of niggling their way back into our heads at times least suspected.

The one common denominator that made him realize these were strictly attacks from the enemy was that the emotions associated with each negative event were identical feelings of condemnation, whether it was a horrible sin committed, or simply one of those ‘if only’s”.

One example he gave was Saul (later called Paul) who persecuted the church, doing his best to annihilate Christians from the face of the planet.  A Christian killer.  A murderer.  Yet, when he was confronted, he repented and was forgiven.  Can you imagine the feelings he had to deal with and overcome?  Did the Lord continually remind him of what he did?  No.  He forgave him and chose him to be the man that would bring the gospel primarily to the Gentiles. 

Another scriptural example was Peter.  The man who denied Jesus.  DENIED Jesus.  3 times.  And on top of that, Peter was forewarned by Jesus that this would happen, but he denied Him anyway.  Peter cried bitterly and repented.  What emotions he must have endured.  Jesus could have reminded Peter of this.  “Tsk, tsk, tsk”.  But at the end of the book of John, Jesus asks Peter {ironically} three times, “Peter, do you love Me?  Feed my sheep.”  And as Paul Harvey would say, “Now you know the rest of the story”, because Peter went on to preach the gospel primarily to the Jews.

Amazing.  A Christian killer and a deny-er of Christ.  Two men who went on to write much of the New Testament.  They didn’t allow their past negative events to define who they were in Christ. They were free to obey and do what God wanted for their lives.

What freedom.  My past mistakes, sins or what-have-you’s are forgiven.  There is no more condemnation.  And when Satan tries to throw them in my face, I can stand up to him just like Peter and Paul did and say, ‘Sorry, Charlie.  I have God’s work to do!’

sidenote: I understand forgiveness plays a huge part in this.  After all, if we’re unforgiving towards someone who has done us wrong, then we’re open game for the enemy, Satan, to try and wreak havoc in our lives.  That’s a given…and fodder for another post. 

It’s All Good!

Brenda