So many of us are haunted by the past. "If only . . ." Becomes our motto. We are
continually haunted by our wrong decisions and mistakes, and often, by
unforgiveness. It doesn't have to be this way:
"When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding
to God. God brought you alive-right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins
forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to
Christ's cross." (Col 2:13-14, MSG)
Why worry about the past, when our slate has been wiped completely clean?
Instead of lingering on the past, let's do something positive for once. After
all, the past is just that. . . The past! What counts is now! We have been
forgiven completely through the sacrifice of Christ, and that's the terrific
news: no longer are we condemned, for we have been set free: "With the arrival
of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into
Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying
black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a
strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated
lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death." (Rom 8:1-2, MSG)!
If we insist on holding on to the past, we will miss the blessing of having been
set free. Our Father can only offer, it's our choice if we want to accept His
grace or not. After all, "There are things to do and places to go." A life
filled with adrenaline awaits us. All we need to do is follow the guidance of
our Heavenly Father's Holy Spirit.
In 1963, Nelson Mandela was put in prison. He was charged of sabotaging the
government, which held to the policy of apartheid, treating people differently
according to their race. In truth, Nelson Mandela was fighting that apartheid,
as it was evil. It held one race above the other! Shouldn't everyone be treated
equally?
Nelson Mandela lingered in prison for over 27 years. Most people would end up
bitter in such circumstances. Half his life was spent in prison, after all,
and for what? For not supporting the government when it was wrong? When Nelson
was finally freed, however, he genuinely forgave those who had imprisoned
him, and Nelson eventually became the president of South Africa.
Doesn't this remind us of Joseph in Egypt? From being a prisoner, he received
the most powerful position possible. Even then, Nelson always encouraged people to
forgive each other, no matter what. After all, forgiveness is part of God's
plan. This is what we are supposed to do!
Instead of regretting the past, Nelson had "Things to do and places to go",
which shaped South Africa into a much better place than ever before.
Do we still want to sit in our comfy chairs and live in the past? After all, we,
too, have "Things to do and places to go"!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.