Everyone Has One…
A past. Everyone has a past. And if we are honest, there are things in our past we wish weren’t there. We wished we hadn’t done or we wish we had known better. To say you have no regrets in your past, is to say you are a bona fide liar. I mean really, let’s just be real. You are reading this and no one can hear your thoughts, see your memories, or even imagine what you may be feeling. So at the very least, be honest with yourself. Surely, the Lord knows, you definitely are not fooling Him.
The Apostle Paul encourages us in 1 Corinthians 13:11: When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
You see my friend, some of our past is our lack of knowledge or our immaturity. However as we age, we should learn somethings, we grow in maturity and we grow in our mentality, and most importantly, we grow spiritually. The legendary boxer Muhammad Ali once said, “A man that is same at age 50 as he was at age 20, has wasted 30 years of his life.”
Herein lies the point, since we all have a past, and we grow at different rates, who are we to judge the one who has not come into that place of knowledge? Notwithstanding, they have not had the opportunity to grow in God. If I had known when I was ages 15, 16, 20, 21, etc what I have learned henceforth, my life would be so different. But I didn’t , so I made poor choices, and my way was challenging.
That is until I was 23 years of age, and The Lord introduced Himself to me. And just like that, like a switch had been flipped, I did a complete about face in my life and jumped into my salvation and never looked back. For some, they “get saved” and no one knows it because there is no outward demonstration of change. But for me, everyone knew Wendy had changed. It was obvious. I got out of an ungodly relationship, my language changed; my social circles changed, basically - my everything changed. And everyone knew I had been changed - I was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
But what I did not do, is suddenly look down my nose at those who had not yet accepted Christ. I was once that same person in need of The Savior and not knowing just how pathetic I was.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Can I tell you something? Better yet, allow me to show you:
In 1 Corinthians 13:11, The Apostle Paul shows us a progression of how we grow away from our past; when Christ comes into our life and I mean really comes into your heart, when Holy Spirit comes upon you.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
People witness (see/recognize) a noticeable change in you. Here is how:
1. First your speech will change: (When I was a child, I spoke as a child)
2. Because your understanding has changed (I understood as a child),
3. And Because your understanding has changed your thoughts will change , ( I thought as a child)
Now hear this, and hear it good.
You are not going to be able to Grow in God and put away your past and childish (sinful) things without making some tough choices.
Matthew 5:30 - And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
You are going to have to get away from that person(s) or thing(s) that cause you to sin. It can be the person you know that always want to get into mischief, or loves to gossip, or even just pushes your proverbial buttons. The Bible is clear, cut that off. It is better to cut it loose than to hang on to them/it and risk your salvation.
It is not worth it. Some people will show you who they are, but that may not necessarily be a reason to cut them off. Remember, Father does not give up on people, like people give up on people. It is when they show you they are unwilling to change, that it is time for you to move on. Bid them well, keep them lifted in prayer, pick up your grace and your salvation and keep it moving.
Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
We are to strive with people until The Lord says enough! And if you walk in discernment, you will hear His voice and know for certain it is Him.
John 10:27 - My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
And that does not mean you don’t forgive them or are judging them, it just means you have outgrown them spiritually, and your salvation is not a willing pawn for the sake of appeasing people who don’t want to change and walk in the narrow path of righteousness.
Psalms 1:1-2
The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the [wicked ]ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates [ponders by talking to himself] day and night.
Be watchful, some are deceitful and slick in their trying to keep you tied to their know-it-all, good-for-nothing, lost-in-pride, carnal nature selves; when we know that the way of righteousness is a narrow path and few find it. So don’t be fooled.
Matthew 7:13-14
The Narrow Way
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Let me leave you with this thought:
You’re out and about and you run into someone you know
The two of you greet, and start to talk as you continue on
(Who walks not in the counsel of the [wicked ]ungodly,)
Next thing you know, you both are so caught up in your conversation
That you stop walking, and find a place to step aside and continue talking
(Nor stands in the path of sinners)
Finally, you both say let’s pull up a chair and talk
(Nor sits in the seat of the scornful)
You didn’t even realize you are no longer walking or even moving
You are now sitting down.
We all have a past and we all have the gift of salvation for the taking if we accept it.
Leave your past behind and walk with God, Jesus stepped in and made it possible by His shed Blood!
To God be All the Glory, Honor, Power, and Praise!
Blessed be the name of the Lord! Amen!
Apostle Prophetess Wendy Connor
© 2021 Wendy Connor
