Sadly, many people unthinkingly acquiesce to the unhealed wounds of their past: childhood cruelty in the schoolyard, harsh words from a parent, a broken relationship, an unresolved regret. I say “unthinkingly” because in order to be set free from the hurts of the past, we need to think about them.

Allow me to be blunt. My first wife left me for one of my best friends. I wasn’t a bad person, but as a hard-driven Type-A achiever, decades later, I totally get it. So, no judgment. But that rejection left a deep wound in my soul.

The inevitable grieving process took a few years. But at some point, we each have a decision to make. We can either choose to heal, which inevitably involves change, or we can pick the scab, leaving it prone to bleeding and infection.

Sadly, many choose the latter. They never get over the hurts of the past or take responsibility for the changes they need to make. 

Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven.

The Apostle Paul, who wrote that, had a painful past of persecuting Christians. Yet he chose not to let that define him. Instead, he pressed forward with purpose, focusing on God’s calling rather than past regrets.

When the past calls, don’t answer.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.