Hello and welcome to "A Word from the Vine." I'm Pastor Loren Christensen of Danish Countryside Chapel. Today, I want to talk about something that has been on my heart for a while. It's about grieving over one's past. As an alcoholic, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to move on from a life of sin and regret.
One of the interesting things about being an alcoholic is that no one held my sins against me when I was drinking. The drunk driving, the philandering, the disorderly conduct, the missed obligations, etc. It's after I quit and straightened out, and my health came back, and my brain began to heal, that the people around me began to resent me. That's when I needed God the most.
Because when people resent you for your newfound health and structure in your life, the only thing you can turn to is Jesus Christ. No one else loves you anymore, at least for a while. And some people never will. They only used you, anyway.
When you've been a whore to public opinion your entire life, and finally you realize that you don't care what people think anymore, it can be liberating. You understand that right is right and wrong is wrong, and the sun comes up in the east and goes down in the west, and that's just the way it is.
But the only way to truly find Christ is through complete surrender. For some of us, perhaps all of us, that means letting go of the past and all its sins and regrets. It means accepting the love of Jesus Christ, even when no one else seems to care.
As always, there are biblical verses that can help guide us in this journey. One of my favorites is Romans 8:1, which says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." And in 2 Corinthians 5:17, we're reminded that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
So if you're struggling with grief over your past, know that you're not alone. Christ is with you, and He offers a way out of the darkness and into the light. Let's pray together for strength and courage to face our past and surrender it to Him.
Dear God, we come before you today asking for your courage and strength. We pray for those who have struggled with addiction, and who are now facing the challenges of a new life. Give them the courage to face the resentments of others, and the strength to turn to you in their time of need. Help us to remember that no matter how much we may have hurt others in the past, there is always hope for redemption and forgiveness through your love and grace. May we find the courage to surrender ourselves to you completely, knowing that you will guide us through even the toughest of times. We pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
Thank you for tuning in to "A Word from the Vine." Until next time, may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Comments