Years ago, my daughter had a small cut on her lip. She would touch it often. She even insisted I take a snapshot so she could see it properly. When she continued to pester me, I gently told her, “What do you want to do with the picture of your wound? It’s healing up.” That statement struck a chord in me.
Friend, stop dwelling on past hurts. Hurts, offences, and betrayals are real. Some will go through seasons in their lives when they will be badly hurt, greatly offended, and terribly betrayed (2 Timothy 4:14). What you do with those experiences matters a lot to your health and progress in life.
Like the Israelites, you need to shift your focus from the serpent bites to the finished work of Christ on the cross (Numbers 21:8-9, Galatians 3:13-14). The truth is, the devil came late. Your betrayers came late. They didn’t know God’s eternal plan (1 Corinthians 2:7-9).
Don’t let what happens to you in life define you. Rather, let what God says concerning you determine your reality (Romans 8:28-31). What you imagine, you emerge in. Sometimes, it can be soothing to ruminate over what people did to you. But it will leave you bitter, not better.
You need to forget the past (Isaiah 43:18-19). Stop dwelling on past hurts. Move forward. Focus on what God is doing in your life now and next. Your betrayers are secretly desiring that you would be stuck and stranded without them (Acts 12:11). But you need to move forward.
God has given you the power to change your reality. Stop giving that power to people who don’t want your best. Be in charge of your emotions and imagination. You cannot move forward looking backwards (Philippians 3:13-14, Hebrews 11:15-16). Learn to journey with God into a beautiful future.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria