Friday, January 11, 2013

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.  Winking smile

It’s All Good!

Brenda

8 comments:

  1. In answer to your title question: Oh goodness, I HOPE not.

    Loving your new bloggy header!!!!!!!! Snow and twigs, awesome!

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  2. So important to know who we are in Christ Jesus. It's always about HIM and not about us.

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  3. It is so nice to know that yesterday does not decide my future, and that He loves me no matter what I have done or said.

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  4. Great message for me considering I'm not so sure I want to remember much about 2012 at all ... OF COURSE God gave us MANY blessings throughout the year BUT there was some pretty tough things that happened associated with some pretty ugly feelings ... Glad to "renew my mind" and move forward in God's will for 2013!!

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    1. memories don't have to feel like a punishment but a reminder of where we don't want to go back to in our lives and in our hearts.

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  5. being in Christ make all of the past just that--great post!

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  6. Wow, I finally got to go to church today. No germs I have to worry about on my own computer.
    Thanks so much for the reminder of all we have learned in church over the years Breda. And yes, forgiveness is the only way to move forward. forgivenees of other's and especially of ourselves. Even if someone else refuses to forgive us, if we trust that God has and then we forgive ourselves then we are free to move forward. The memories must stay in order to remind of us where we don't want to go back to in our hearts and lives.

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Thanks for taking the time to visit with me. I enjoy your comments very much. :)