Hunger & Thirst #2

If you missed last week's devotion, check it out here.  Onward:

Using the Past to Build Your Future

Getting an appetite and desire for God is great.  However, we can often find ourselves frustrated and even backsliding after a short while on God's diet plan.  One problem may be that we have forgotten from where God brought us.  One man illustrates the importance of remembering who you were so you can press forward in the Kingdom

Honesty Breeds Respect

Paul is recorded several times in Acts and his Epistles as admitting to his past.  He does not do this to boast, but rather to educate and convict others.  His testimony was letting his followers know there was no place from which God couldn't rescue them.  He was also reminding himself of where God delivered him so that he would not lose his footing in Christ. 

Our Past=Opportunity

It's easy in Christianity to shrug off our past and "move forward" in life.  After all, we have repentance and remission of sins, which removes us from our past so we can start anew in Christ.  We are even told to put off the old man so we can put on the new (Ephesians 4:24)  However, we are also told to testify to all people (Acts 10:42).  We can't do this without addressing our past.

To address one's past, though, means admitting our faults.  It is a natural thing to want to shy away from our faults and failings.  Pride and self-preservation creep into our minds and hearts and tell us we don't have to address the old man because we are made into a new creature.  However, we miss out on what Christ wants to do through us when we avoid our past.  We can only go so far in our relationship with God if we don't use our testimony, and that is what the devil desires: to limit our ability to grow.

Overcome and Grow

We can overcome this fear of our past simply by looking at where God has brought us from and remembering  He brought us out.  We might have made a lot of terrible decisions, but we made the only decision that matters in the end: We chose to follow Jesus.  When we put our past through this filter, our past becomes a testimony rather than a dark secret. 

Try this today:

Reflection

• Create a list of all the things you did wrong before Christ set you free

• At the end of each admission write the following:

             "but Jesus set me free"

• Let this be your filter when looking at your past so you can be more effective going forward.