Chained to the Past

Faith always moves forward no matter what’s in the rear view mirror! This is a hard concept for those of us who tend to let history determine our response to the future. Think about it. How many times have I acted or failed to act because of something that happened in the past?

Let’s say you are staying at a rental cabin in the mountains and the glass in the sliding glass door shatters as you open the door to go onto the deck. Is that going to prevent you from opening doors in the future? Of course not! It is something we will remember, but future door opening will not be chained to the past. It may shape, or influence how we open doors in the future, but it will not keep us from opening doors.

More and more people seem to be chained to past events, problems and pains. Many struggle to break free, but they always seem to resign future events, relationships and experiences to what has happened in the past. Blame and guilt are really good at creating a “victim” mentality, which can ultimately relieve us of any responsibility in future relationships or situations. The past pain, hurt, or mistake begins to become the justification for personal behavior, attitudes and actions that are no less serious and even injurious to others. We start to rationalize our present/future behavior in light of what has “happened to us” in the past.

We see this a lot in Recovery circles. Blaming the past (people, family, situations, job, etc.) is a big roadblock on the journey to a better future. Sure we need to remember our roots and what we’ve experienced and learned in life, but there’s a big difference between remembering and being held hostage. My life experiences help shape me, but I cannot allow them to singly determine my response, or actions in the future. This is the road that leads to prejudice, ignorance and a critical spirit. At what point will we ever accept personal responsibility if we are always blaming someone, or something from the past? Better yet, how can we positively face the future if we consume a steady diet of negative memories, circumstances, relationships and events?

We have a choice. Regardless of what’s happened to us, or what we’ve experienced we can choose how we are going to act, speak and respond to the people, events and circumstances around us. Too many times I have made poor choices based on past hurts and pains. And if I’m honest, a lot of those were self-inflicted as the result of my own poor choices.

When I am future focused I’m less likely to let the past dictate my actions or limit my response. Let the past inform the future, but remain free enough to choose how you will act. Who wants to be a slave to the past? Paul put it best in Galatians 5: "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."