Our past is just one thought away from our present. So which version of your life are you truly living in? Before Christ? Or after?

I believe we all can just sit there and marvel at the person that, by God’s Grace, we have become since we’ve accepted Christ in our hearts and become new in every aspect of the word. Just like (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV) distinctly reminds us all:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!

So just like that, we don’t do certain acts, say certain words, and most importantly, we don’t live for the pleasure of our flesh or anything that may upset the Spirit. But we strive to constantly please the Spirit and forsake ourselves. It’s a breathtaking sight to see our old selves compared to the present – it just speaks to how mighty God truly is, to see the dramatic changes God made on the outer aspect of us and from within us as individuals in our hearts. But at times it is hard to comprehend or fathom. This unbelief or struggle for understanding can lead many to question if they are truly saved, if they’re truly Christian, or if they are worthy of God’s saving. These are thoughts I and many of you may have or currently have had about yourself.

But we know (Prov. 3:5-6 NIV) reminds us all:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

We know once we start believing in our negative self-talk, thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives about ourselves it can and will lead to a pity party. This party will fuel the fire of us questioning our salvation and our future. To put it bluntly, it will have us condemning ourselves for our past mistakes and our old selves before Christ, especially when we fail to meet God’s standards. I know all too well where self-condemning leads and what it does to the spirit of the condemned. It leaves you drained, hopeless, and with a skewed self-image haunted by your past mistakes or transgressions that, in that moment, we may identify with – which we should never accept. It makes you feel far from God when He is always near. Most importantly, it diminishes Christ’s dying on the cross for our sins. You may think how can I not identify with my past mistakes, or when I don’t feel Christian enough, or when our minds are telling us so many negative stories and lies that consume us constantly with ourselves and our past? My answer: trust God wholeheartedly and that the Bible holds more truths than what lies your mind is telling you.

Also, (Romans 8: 31-39) reminds us all that there is nothing under the sun that God has not seen, and He has promised never to leave us or forsake us and has proved time and time again that He is a forgiving God. We have to trust that God is who He says he is. Such as being committed and ever-faithful to us despite our backsliding, quick to forgive, and much more. We have to believe in our heart of hearts and remind our Spirits, when our flesh attempts to overpower it, that God, His word, and these powerful character traits that we constantly proclaim are true.

If we don’t check ourselves and most importantly, check our minds, it can be our downfall.

We can read so many Bible verses that speak about how much God loves us, and hear people say you’re a nice person. Even assuming you’re an outstanding citizen based on your daily attempts to be a light in this world as Christ demands us to be. But if we, the person, do not truly believe it, and do not have the Word of God written on our hearts, any praise we receive, which is ultimately for God’s glory and not our own, falls on deaf ears and we allow the enemy to win. This is why I think God speaks about our faith so much throughout the Bible and the importance of being unmovable. At times, we condemn ourselves to the point where we don’t see the value in ourselves. We may wonder if God was right to call or save us, and to continually forgive us for our shortcomings that we may feel too messed up or past the point of being saved. All I can say is God sees the best in us even when we fail to or just plain fail.

I leave you with this: Forgive yourself at night and recommit in the morning.

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:31-39; 2 Corinthians 5:17