“You can’t move on
Til you let go of whats gone”

– From the song “As Long As Your Looking Back” by Gary Allen

It is funny how you can find inspiration in all different kind of things. I was listening to one of my old playlists on my phone this morning, and this song came on. It is an old song, and pretty much a B side favorite of mine. It was never made into a single for mainstream radio, but if you are like me, sometimes it is better to listen to the other songs rather than what everyone else is listening to.

This song got me to thinking about everything that has been happening to me in the past few months. So many beautiful and wonderful things have been going on all over the place, and I am so blessed to be apart of it all. The biggest change that I have taken on is the whole concept of letting go, and trying to remember that I am better than I was yesterday, and that person no longer exists. Today, I am a new person. I get to take all the lessons from the past, learn from them, and move into bigger and better things… All with the Grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

I am not saying that memories and reflections on things that have come before are not good. They are, in essence, what has brought you to where you are at this moment. There is always a time and a place for nostalgic moments. Just as with everything else, dwelling there can be dangerous, especially if you have a past that you are less than proud of, or have moments that can really bring you down. I am living proof, just as much as the next person, that living in those dark places only bring you further away from God. I lived that for a better part of my life so far. It was and still is, one of the ways depression in my life manifested itself. Living in those past horrors really is the work of the evil one. As much as your past has defined where you have been, it does not define how today will be, nor will it define tomorrow. God is the only person who is in control of the story for tomorrow, and like I have said before, you have to let Him finish writing the story. Looking back at chapters prior are great, but living in them, you miss what you are supposed to be doing today.

A challenge to this is that other people also look back on what you have done. Of course they are, because that is what people do. As a manager who hires people, I look at employment history and other things before selecting a candidate. So, the question is, how to do you overcome a past that is haunting? The answer, I have found, is today. Doing something different starting today. Even the lowest of the lows have been forgiven, so long as you allow yourself to be forgiven, and then repent. It is everywhere in the Bible, countless scripture verses on this. But what if you are still chastised for that past? Well, only God knows what mission you are supposed to be on, it is our job to find out, and if you are running up against adversity because of your old ways, the only solution is to ask for help. We all have a past, with things that are not who we are today. If we have let those go, and are not letting that past define us today, it will show through.  People will notice that you are a changed person, so long as you are willing to let God take control, and not try to do it all yourself.

You are not who you were yesterday. I know I am not who I was yesterday. I am better than that person ever will be.