Rising above your past

“The storm that was sent to break you
Is going to be the storm that will make you.”

Everyone has a story, something they can’t share with the rest of the world, even if they do, it comes with pain and tears; I think that’s one of what we all have in common. The difference between you and your next door neighbor is how you see this story, pain or as we can call it “past”. Do you make it your power, or your nightmare?
Making your past a night mare only gives it the power to haunt,
Whereas, It could be your platform.

A short story I would love to share: Friya was sexually abused at the age of 15, she concieved and gave birth to a baby boy, and everything changed, she was no longer the normal teenager she wanted to be, her friends mocked her so did her extended family. She struggled through life, through college and became a Lawyer advocating for girls who were sexually abused.

Her story gave her the drive to push through, she won every case, she saw herself in every of those girls and helped them to be better people just like she made out of herself not becoming prostitutes and sex addicts as they could have been due to the trauma of the abuse.
Her past, her story became her power;
Now that’s what I am talking about!

The thing I need you to focus on is that light at the end of the tunnel not the thick darkness behind you, can you see it? Yeah, that’s the future and it’s so bright!

“Healing begins when you face it,
forgive it and deal with the shame
you had taken as a result, once you have done that then you can
use it to help others.”

“Let God take control of what has had control over you”

Another scenario of rising above the past I would love to paint is the story of Apostle Paul who used to be a terror to the church and later a battle axe of God to the gentiles!
Kai!
The guilt of all He did in the past probably would have torn him apart and made not able to talk about the same thing he persecuted, I am so sure people would have abused and bad mouthed him!

But He told himself something, “I will forget those things which are behind and forge towards the things which are before me!”
And he with the same kind of passion he had persecuting the church, he used in propagating the gospel!

Maybe you used to be an addict (to whatever thing), an hooker or whatever it is you used to do and you are now a changed person!
Never let the devil make you feel condemned or guilty especially to deal with that kind of issue or t help others deal with that topic!

There is therefore no condemnation for they that are in Christ!
God can use you to help others going through the same ordeal becauseyou have victory!
But you must first be ready to rise and forge towards the things before you.
Forge towards Destiny!
Forge towards fulfilling purpose.

SOME KEYS TO RISING ABOVE THE PAST:
• Refuse to live like a victim: Stop looking for sympathy and start looking for solutions.

• Isolate the problem: An event in your past shouldn’t dictate how you see things, because someone did something wrong to you in the past shouldn’t makeyou feel everyone is the same.

• Learn about the perfect love: Knowing the love of God and how it He loves you irrespective of any circumstance makes you feel better, you should get to drown in the love, and get to know him better.

A reason some of us can’t forget what God has forgiven is because we have a wrong concept of God.

The behaviour of people is different from that of God, so don’t use your perception of God to decide how God is; if your parents recall the bad things and mistakes you made in the past doesn’t mean God is like that
Gods love is not blind, He loves you in our worst.When you think your past disqualifies you from moving forward, you don’t understand the grace of God (Isaiah 55: 8-9)

• Reciprocate this love to others: Learn charity.

The past really has a lot on us and we must soar above it not just survive it.

“Philippians 3:13 (Paul)
Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching out to those things which are before…”
A. forget things behind
B. reach for things before you (future).

END NOTE: You had a child out of wedlock, had an abortion, you have been at the prison; don’t be discouraged, God isn’t just moved by our virtues, He is touched by our feeling of infirmity

BIBLE REFERENCES: Job 11:13-19; Psalm 32:5-6, Heb 4:15.