We all have those chapters in our lives that we do not want read out loud. Times in our lives when we made not so great decisions that we regret. We wish we could go back and change those things. But that’s not how life works, right?

So we live with them. But do those decisions, actions or times define who we are? Do they determine how we live our lives now? Absolutely….and absolutely not!

Now wait a minute…..

I know that’s what you’re thinking.

But let me take a minute to explain.

When I first started with the idea of this blog, satan was really good at putting thoughts in my head about my writing. He filled my head with doubts that anyone would listen because, let’s face it, I had a time in my life when God and my church were the absolute last thing on my mind. He told me that people would think of me as a hypocrite. I’ll be honest. I believed those lies for a while. It’s the reason it took so long to begin this journey.

But then God led me to King David, who slept with his friend’s wife and then had him murdered to cover it up, to Rahab the prostitute, to Paul, who hunted and murdered Christians and to Peter, one of Jesus’ own disciples, who denied he even knew who Jesus was. Wow. Sounds like a sketchy kind of crew doesn’t it?

But you know what?

God used every one of them for to further His kingdom. David and Rahab were both in the lineage of our Jesus. Paul testified of Jesus’ saving power and mentored the early church. And Peter, wow, who walked next to our Lord in person and then denied he even knew Him, Jesus said on this rock He would build His church.

“And I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18

Wow again. The man denied Him and Jesus used that man to build a church that the gates of hell would not prevail against!

So tell me God can’t use a messed up sinner like men for His good and His purpose!

See, we are NOT determined by our past. Or are we??

God used David. David humbled himself and sought forgiveness. He purposed to live for God from that day forward.

God used Rahab. Rahab provided help to the Israelite spies and ended up living a new life.

God used Peter. Peter asked forgiveness and proclaimed Jesus even louder after the fact. He proclaimed his faith and belief and love for Jesus so much, that when he was crucified, he told them to crucify him upside down because he was not worthy enough to be crucified like his beloved Lord.

So you see, sometimes our past can define us. Sometimes we are determined by our past. But in a good way. I know that for me, I pray every day to be better than I was.

Would Peter have been such a witness had he not denied Christ? Would Rahab have been any more helpful or been in the lineage of Jesus had she not been a prostitute? Would David had been such a great king if he had not done what he done? Only God knows.

What I do know, is that regardless of your past, God can and will use you for His good. He will use you to testify and witness to others and He will use you to continue to build His church until He comes back for us again.

So don’t let your past stop you. It may determine the way you do some things moving forward, but don’t let it stop you from doing what God has called you to do!