This article on dealing with your past is an excerpt from one of the teachings of our General Overseer, Rev’d Peter Alabi: Ambidextrous believers, God’s principle of Faithfulness, Part 5.
To be a champion does not mean you will never make mistakes or fail. Rather, it means you refuse to stay down when you fall. The truth is that everyone makes mistakes and has challenges, but what distinguishes you is your response to the challenges you face.
Some people nurse guilt over past mistakes and are unable to let go. This is a bad habit that has crushed many talented people and limited them in life.
But this is not God’s plan for you. God wants you to live free from your past and here are some ways to do this:
Learn to rise when you fall
In the event that you fall, know that you are not the first to fall, and you certainly won’t be the last person to fall.
Micah 7
8. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.
The fact that a righteous man has a bad day does not mean he has a bad life, GOD’S provision is for you to rise whenever you fall in life.
Proverbs 24
16. For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
It is better to rest when you are tired and continue later than to give up.
You are not a quitter! If you will fulfil God’s plan for your life, you must learn to rise whenever you fall.
Don’t dwell on mistakes, move on from them
Some people choose to dwell on their past mistakes and never try again.
An example of this was Terah, Abraham’s father in Genesis 11.
Genesis 11
27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
From the text we can see that Terah had three sons: Abraham, Nahor and Haran. But Haran died before his father in Ur.
From verse 31, Terah originally set out to leave Ur to go into the land of Canaan. But after the death of his son, he was attached to the trauma, so much more than the future he wanted to step into (Canaan). As a result of this, Terah dwelt in Haran instead of Canaan which was his original destination.
The world is moving on, you better move. Don’t stay attached to trauma. Avoid playing ‘victim’. Stop throwing pity parties and hanging around friends that only drag you backwards.
In dealing with your past, don’t dwell on your losses, there is a better tomorrow
The places that remind you or make you comfortable about your losses are not places to stay. Such things and places only seek to make mediocrity out of you, and you should not allow them!
As our General Overseer says, we don’t dwell on the “good old days” because we have a better tomorrow!
Dealing with the past by the Spirit, not Emotions
You must be particularly discerning about relationships or dealings you have with anyone or anything from the past; make sure any such relationship is by the Spirit. Never relate with your past on the basis of emotions.
This is very important as people change over time and for someone you have not seen for a long time, many things have happened in their life that you are unaware of. Relating emotionally would be to base your perception of them on the idea of how things used to be.
Ask God ‘WHY?’ when someone from your past shows up
When someone from your past suddenly shows up, you must inquire to know if God sent them because God rarely ever comes from the past.
It is Satan that comes from the past to drag you back there; but God comes from the future to take you there from where you are.
Your past mistakes do not define you, it is important that you settle in your heart that as far as God is concerned, He wants to take you all the way. Don’t give up or become inconsistent because of your past mistakes.
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