Changing Our Past

by Katie Harding on August 7. 2023

When my children were young, I heard a phrase at church that dramatically changed my life. I was taking a class called Understanding Today’s Preschoolers, and the instructor said, “You can either repeat the past or change it.”

​That night, I decided I didn’t want to repeat the past. I loved my mother dearly, but I didn’t want to be just like her. My mother was married four times, ran away from difficulties, and screamed at her children when she was angry or upset. I wanted my mothering to be different. I realized I had the opportunity to change my past by claiming a new future with new ways of parenting.

​When we are born again into God’s family, the same opportunity awaits. We are no longer destined to repeat the past but to change it. Instead of repeating character traits of our sinful nature or those our family struggled with, we can change our past by claiming a new future as a child of God.

As children adopted into God’s family, we can begin to emulate the character traits of our new Father. Through God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to overcome our natural nature. When we embrace His gift and allow the Spirit to guide and direct us, a new future is certain. We can begin to love without reservation, always look for the best in people, and live free of the burdens of this life. We can be forgiving, kind, patient, and gentle. We can experience the peace that Jesus offers, even in the most difficult of circumstances, and we can become self-disciplined and learn to joyfully surrender our wants for the sake of others.

​Being a child of God doesn’t mean a life without trials. But given our new character, it does mean the way we deal with difficulties will be different. When we learn to trust in our Father’s faithfulness, we can let go of worries about the future and strive for contentment in all situations.

​The choice is ours. We can choose to repeat the past or change it. Are you claiming a new future as a child of God?