When the Past Comes Knocking by stella ashworth
Regret keeps you looking back. Faith gives you the courage to move forward.
There comes a moment in all our lives when the past comes knocking. It arrives carrying regrets, mistakes, missed opportunities, pain, and words left unsaid.
It whispers, "What if?" What if I had chosen differently? What if I had stayed? What if I had left? What if I had known then what I know now?
Yet Scripture reminds us of a greater truth: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
The enemy wants us to live looking backward, but God calls us to move forward. The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence. We can learn from it, but we were never meant to live there.
Many people remain prisoners of yesterday, replaying old conversations, reliving old failures, and carrying burdens that Christ already paid for at the cross. They struggle to forgive others, but often the hardest person to forgive is themselves.
The truth is that most of us did the best we could with the wisdom, understanding, and circumstances we had at the time. We imagine that if we could go back, we would do everything differently. But without the lessons, growth, and experiences we have gained since then, we would likely make many of the same choices again.
Life experiences bring wisdom. God's Word brings understanding. Together they teach us that regret changes nothing, but surrender changes everything.
God never asked us to carry the weight of our past. He asks us to lay it at His feet. He calls us to forgive, to heal, to trust, and to believe that He is still writing our story.
Romans 8:28 reminds us: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
Notice that Scripture does not say that all things are good. It says God works all things together for good. The heartbreaks, the failures, the disappointments, the wrong turns, and even the seasons we wish we could erase, God can use them all.
Regret is a thief. It steals today's joy while offering nothing in return. It keeps us from truly living, truly loving, and truly embracing the future God has prepared.
So bury the past. Put away the memories that keep you chained to yesterday. Thank God for the lessons, release the pain, and let go of the guilt.
Build greater memories with the time you have left. Your future is not determined by your worst mistake. Your identity is not found in your past. Your story is not over.
In Christ, you are a new creation. Start believing it. Start living it. And trust that the God who brought you this far will faithfully work every chapter of your life together for His Glory and your good.
Stella Ashworth - Bay Talk.