We cannot move forward by desperately holding on to what was. By faith we must let go of what has passed and live in hope for what is still to come. And this is true whether others have traumatized our lives or we simply recognize its time for us to grow and mature. There’s no going back when it’s time to rebuild.
Of course, this is not to negate the many lessons we can learn from the past. And there are also many enduring principles that will remain the same yesterday, today, and forever. But it’s still a mistake to put new wine into old wineskins. Some things must be let go of to fully embrace the new life God has for us today.
For instance, perhaps someone else’s sin left us with a broken heart and shattered dreams. We can forgive, but we cannot undo the reality of what has taken place. There’s no way to go back to that time of innocence in which this never happened. But it’s this very recognition that frees us to pick up the pieces of our heart and move forward. Rebuilding is not denying the past, but it’s not holding on to the ghost of what was either. This might mean, for example, dying to the old patterns and assumptions in our marriage to make room for the new.
To be sure, it’s easier to see the wreckage when someone sins against us, and we’re likely more eager to put this behind us. What’s harder to see is when we’ve simply outgrown the old, and like a cozy and warm bed, it’s not easy to leave. There’s nothing wrong per se with what we’re doing, but it’s clearly holding us back from God’s best. We must now be the ones to initiate our loss and the pain that follows. And we stay immature and stuck without this courageous act of faith.
In the end, whatever it looks like, forging your path forward requires you to let go of the past and live in hope as you rebuild the life God has for you.
Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash
