When I logged on to my favorite social networking site, the two little red ones glaring in the top left corner of the screen alerted me that I had a new friend request and a new message in my inbox. When I clicked the friend request tab, I was totally taken aback by the face staring back at me and furthermore, by the message in my inbox.
It read: “It’s been a long time. You’re still beautiful I see. We should catch up.”
“Wow! Really? Is this a joke, God?” I thought aloud. I looked around to see if Ashton Kutcher would jump out and tell me that I was being Punk’d. But I wasn’t.
A familiar face from deep within my past had re-emerged after almost a decade. I hadn’t seen or spoken to this guy since our ugly split that left me broken and empty. Although I’ve long let go of the harsh feelings I had towards him, re-opening that door to my past was something I refused to do.
I didn’t make any assumptions about his intentions regarding wanting to catch up, which could very well have been purely innocent, but I simply did not like the place my thoughts revisited. So with no hesitation, I chose to ignore that friend request and delete the message.
See, that old friend is tied to a time in my life when, although I confessed Christ, I was totally lost. I was secretly wild and wayward, freely giving in to every lust of my flesh and living a life of reckless sin. Promiscuity and pornography were at the top of my list for entertainment back then, and I had absolutely no clue what self-worth meant.
Thank God for deliverance and spiritual growth, and development!
Naturally, there are certain things or people that trigger particular memories. This guy triggered memories from when my life was filled with struggles and mindsets that took years for me to be delivered from. And if there’s one thing I know, it’s that I went through far too much to be healed and to be able to grab hold to my freedom through Christ to allow mere memories to be a stumbling block in any way. Not to say that I am weak to the enemy’s subtle tactics; however, it would be completely unwise to entertain anything connected to the past that does not serve as something that would catapult me further into my destiny. The same should go for you.
There should come a point in our lives when we just know that some things simply do not need any of our time or attention. Amen?
When God closes certain doors, we should leave them forever closed. Re-opening what God has shut can prove to be detrimental to the forward progression of our lives, and just because the past comes knocking does not mean you have to answer, or open, the door. The enemy is slick and will use anything he can to try to knock you off course. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that our enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. And one of his best weapons is your past.
He knows that if he can send the right person or thing to trigger the right memories or feelings, then he can get you to slip back into what the Lord has delivered you from. If he can get you to dwell on a memory long enough, it will seep into your heart, and replay itself through your actions. Memory lane is not always a great place for a stroll.
We see what happened to Lot’s wife in Genesis 19:26 when the Lord was trying to deliver her from Sodom. She looked back at what was behind her and turned into a pillar of salt. The forward progression of her life came to an abrupt halt and she became stuck in the very place the Lord was trying to move her from.
When God is moving you forward, never look back. I believe that the only time you should revisit your negative past is when you’re sharing your testimony of how the Lord brought you over.
When the past, in whatever form, stares you in the face, look right past it with your eyes fixated on what’s ahead and continue to move towards the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Don’t you dare let nothing or nobody turn you around!