Friday, January 6, 2011

Let Go Of Past Sins

O God, you know how foolish I am; my sins cannot be hidden from you. -- Psalm 69:5

Have you ever stayed awake at night agonizing over something you really shouldn’t have done? Have you ever mentally beat yourself up again and again over something you wish you could change? Join the club. I think everybody has at some time or another.

The Apostle Paul once agonized because he knew what to do and yet he still did what he knew he wasn’t supposed to do. Aren’t we all the same? We are determined to hold our tongue and then someone pushes a button and away we go. Or we’re determined not to spend so much time watching television and we sink down onto our recliner and three hours later we’re still there.

Several years ago I agonized that I might have hurt a friend’s feelings. Sometimes I can be too blunt. I saw her a few days later and apologized. You know what? She didn’t even remember what I said. I’d been beating myself up over something that didn’t even matter.

She laughed it off and told me not to worry. Then she gave me some wonderful advice. She said to let things go and move on. Other people don’t remember like we think they do and they aren’t as sensitive as we think they are. I’m not always sure about that (my feelings do get bruised sometimes) but I do agree with letting it go. We can’t undo what’s done. We can apologize if we should, make restitution if we can, and then move on and try to do better next time.

That’s how we should be with God. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows every one of our sins, including the sins we aren’t even aware of. When we do sin, it’s best to confess and ask His forgiveness. Do what we can to rectify any consequences, then move on. Let it go. Put it behind us just as God puts our sin behind Him when He forgives us.

God doesn’t want us to keep beating ourselves up over past sin that we can’t undo. That kind of mental futility just keeps us mired in the past instead of moving us forward toward the future He has planned for us. God wants to forgive us. He wants to restore us. But we have to want that too.

That means we have to forgive ourselves. That could be the hardest task we face, especially when our sin is something we knew not to do and did anyway. But we have to forgive ourselves or we’ll never get beyond it. We have to let go so we can create a new path, a new way of living for God.

So give your past to God. Ask for His forgiveness and then let it go. Leave it at the cross. Let the blood of Jesus wash it away. Then pick yourself up and walk toward the light. God has something beautiful planned for you.