We all have a past and before you get married, being transparent about it will bring a healing that feels so much better than holding on to it. I thank God I was able to grab ahold of Christ at a young age because He guided me away from making decisions that would have affected my future.
But, even though I was a lover of Christ, I still did things not up to His standards. It does not matter how much or how little you have done, being honest about what you have gone through is more about giving God glory than it is about you.
The enemy wants to shut your mouth with shame, which is exactly what God desires to use to shame the devil! Unhealthy friendships with the opposite sex was a major part of my past. This was something I had to deal with before I got married. Even though they did not turn sexual, I would develop emotional ties which I consider just as destructive. I can be transparent about this now because I have shined the light on every part of my past so God may be glorified. It is not who I am, that determines where I am going. I have been set free by the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.
Here are 2 Keys for Dealing With Your Past
1. Get Down to the Root
Getting down to the root of my issues was not an overnight thing. The first step is discovering the root, then getting rid of it by faith in the power of God’s redeeming grace! This is done through the inner healing and deliverance the Holy Spirit brings to souls. Deliverance is simply the process by which you come out of agreement with various evil spirits that have been given access to your life through generational curses or your own sinful actions.
Joyce Meyers says, “Is there something in your past or your present that is causing problems with your emotions or thoughts? If we were honest, all of us would admit there are times when we struggle with wrong thoughts and the unhealthy emotions they create.”
“Sometimes this can even lead to depression or other serious ongoing conditions that keep us from being emotionally and mentally whole.”- Battlefield of the Mind. God desires to make you whole by dealing with the root of your actions and past experiences. Becoming whole requires coming to God with all of you, including your feelings and thoughts.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows]. (Psalm 147:3, ESV, brackets not in original)”
2. Make Room for the New
We find in the book of Isaiah 43:19, God says, ‘For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?’ This scripture was given to me prophetically at the beginning of July, which was my one year mark since moving to Chicago.
That scripture along with some powerful insight regarding this next year of my life got me REALLY excited. My mind began to roam regarding what “new thing” God was about to do in my life. While happy and expectant, I was unaware of the requirements this word came with.
While reading over Isaiah 43, God spoke to me saying, “You desire for me to bring the new, but you must first get rid of the old.” Jesus does not personally destroy areas of our lives that are blocking Him out, but points them out and tells us to destroy them. Desiring all God has for you is just the beginning and it must be followed up with making room for Him in your life.
It is the small foxes that spoil the vine, and in your life there are small things that could be preventing Him from showing up. There could be a range of things from unhealthy relationships to selfish character that stems to destructive environments. God prunes us so that we will be more fruitful for Him. We must learn to embrace this time of cleansing, for it is Him saying to you: “You make room, and I’ll bring in the new”!
BMWK: Are you able to let go of the past and make room for the new?