Learning to live out the redemption and love of Christ
| | |

Learning to Embrace the New

Do you ever feel that there is something in your past that is too big, too ugly for God to wash over and make new?

Maybe the brokenness of your past still follows you day in and day out.

Or maybe the consequences of the past still haunt you in your weakest moments.

 

Learning to live out the redemption and love of Christ

I know this because I’ve been there, and sometimes, I still am.

Sometimes I get swept away into the shame of my regrets.

Sometimes I get caught up in a broken identity shaped by my past.

I find myself thinking that because the consequences of that brokenness can still press hard against my spirit, that maybe I’m not made new. Maybe I’m not set free.

But this is a lie.

God has made a road out of the depths of your past.

We don’t need to dwell on the past because God is doing something new in us.

He is redeeming me and He is redeeming you so that our pasts can be used for His glory.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. -Isaiah 43:18

We may look back and see desert and wasteland in our pasts, but the Lord is at work.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. -Isaiah 43:19

He is making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

Take a moment and let that truth soak into the broken parts of your past.

When Satan tempts you to dwell on the brokenness of your past, you must remember these three things.

You Are Free

Jesus died to set you free. His grace and mercy covers over all of your sins, all of your regrets, all of your shame.

In the book of Isaiah, God speaks to His people who are cowering under the oppression of Babylon, just as we cower under our brokenness.

But the Lord makes a promise to His people.

The cowering prisoner will soon be set free. -Isaiah 51:14

God did not promise that we would never be a cowering prisoner. But He did promise to set us free.

We must take hold of the freedom He offers.

We don’t need to remain glued to the brokenness and sin in our past.

[bctt tweet="We don’t need to remain glued to the brokenness and sin in our past." username="NicoleAKauffman"]

We can shed the layers of pain and regret and we can step forward into the glorious freedom of Christ.

You Are Loved

It can be so easy to forget this truth when our vision is clouded by our past. When we look at ourselves through the lens of our own brokenness, we begin to doubt that we are worthy of love.

But the Lord loved us so much, He loves you so much that He died for you.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. -John 15:13

We can’t allow Satan to torment us with lies. We are sons and daughters of the King.

[bctt tweet="We can’t allow Satan to torment us with lies. We are sons and daughters of the King." username="NicoleAKauffman"]

The love of our earthly parents and the love we can provide to our children is so small compared to the love that God has for you.

Rest in knowing that you are deeply loved by the One who created the heavens and the earth.

You Are Made New

Because of His grace and because of His redemption, we are made new. We are redeemed. We are being sanctified day by day.

When God looks at you, He sees Christ. He sees beauty and restoration.

He is working to redeem every part of your past for His glory.

Satan no longer can hold you, for you are in the Father’s arms.

[bctt tweet="Satan no longer can hold you, for you are in the Father’s arms." username="NicoleAKauffman"]

When you see your past creeping into your life today, remember that the Lord is taking that brokenness and weaving beauty and redemption into it.

He is using your story to bring glory to His kingdom. He is redeeming and renewing you.

He is creating a beautiful masterpiece out of the broken mess.

There is hope when we take hold of these truths.

There is healing when we surrender to His redemption.

But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. -Isaiah 51:6

The next time Satan tempts you to dwell in your past, remind him who holds your heart.

.

44 Comments

  1. Nicole,
    So so SO good. How I have missed my time hanging out here and soaking in HOPE! Thank you for this powerful reminder of who we are in Christ! It’s way too easy getting stuck in not only our identity of the past, but the habits of an identity stuck in the past!
    Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful words of hope with us at #MomentsofHope ♥
    Lori

  2. Beautiful, hope filled, inspiring truth to hold on to, especially when the battle heats up and we feel unable to cope. We always need to remember Whose we are and where we belong. Thanks, Nicole! So glad you stopped by my site today and connected. Bless you, friend. 🙂

  3. Amen, freedom reigns! — “He is using your story to bring glory to His Kingdom.” — Comforting words, my friend. Thanks for this reminder that all of our pain is being redeemed by a worthy God. ((Hug))

  4. Beautiful and needed reminders! I love how organized your post is, with headers and scripture for each major point. Makes it stick! <3

    1. That’s so great, Ivanna! And yes, knowing how deeply we are loved can provide SO much peace!

    1. God has an amazing and mysterious way of getting His message of love and truth across! So glad you’re listening, Lauren! 🙂

  5. This is perfect!
    Absolutely what I needed to read, and I feel a bit of weight lifting!
    Still a lot of work to do, but this will help me remember that it is ok and that I can move forward!

    Xx Angela

  6. Yes, Satan tries to trick us out of our inheritance through his deception all day long. He knows how much freedom we will walk in knowing Whose we are. Thanks for your wonderful words today!

    1. Very true! Satan is very much at work, but I’m so glad we have a God who has already won! 🙂

  7. Freedom has always been one of the hardest things for me to accept in my walk with the Lord. I always know Biblically that I am free and forgiven, but I often get swept away by the fact that I don’t *feel* free. But it isn’t about feelings. It’s about truth.

  8. Love this tons! It amazing how you don’t know you need a reminder until it hits you square in the face. Thank you for this, I needed it this morning 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy