Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. (Isa. 43:18)
IT IS AMAZING the amount of useless trivia we retain in our subconscious. Think about all the things we do without hesitation. We can text without thinking, recall song lyrics at a second’s notice, or remember a locker combination from junior high. The power of the brain is phenomenal. It can also be a dungeon that holds us captive to past mistakes and failures. Are we forgiven? Yes. Have we forgotten? Not quite.
This is what the Lord says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” When we enter into a relationship with God, He does something amazing in our lives. He makes us brand new. Paul would later proclaim that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17). We may find it difficult to let go of past sins, but God treats us as a new creation. It is not His desire for us to be enslaved to past transgressions. He restores and redeems. He declares, “I, even I [the one who created you, the one who is almighty, perfect, and righteous] am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Don’t be held captive by useless trivia. You are set free and brand new in Christ Jesus.
What sins are you still holding on to? Let go and let God.
Scott Simmons is the author of iFollow: Connecting Belief and Behavior to Who You Are in Christ (WPH) and the youth ministry movement director for The Wesleya
