“When memories of past hurt flood your mind, go ahead and face them.”

A thought by Andy Stanley, (2009-01-21) from his book, Louder Than Words: The Power of Uncompromised Living (Kindle Locations 2095-2096). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Andy then says, “Allow yourself to remember the incident. It’s even okay to feel the emotions those memories elicit. If necessary, be angry but do not sin (see Ephesians 4: 26). But instead of reopening the case against your offender, instead of rehearsing images of retribution and revenge, use it as an opportunity to renew your mind.”

I’m not sure who it is that needed this thought today. All I can say is that God loves you and wants to release you from your past hurts. Go ahead and face it and then let God help you deal with it through forgiving you of the part you may have played in it and then forgiving the part that the other person played in it.

How do you really know that you have truly forgiven them? You know it because when you think about it the pain is gone. Now understand that may take some time as you continually forgiven them but it is possible by God strength and His grace to get there.

As Andy says, “Pinpoint once again the thing you were robbed of. Then thank your heavenly Father for giving you the grace and strength to forgive. Thank Him as well for forgiving you. Don’t accept the lie that you haven’t really forgiven. Focus on the truth. The truth is, you have decided to cancel the debt, and so the debt has been canceled. How do you know? Because you decided, as an act of your will, to cancel it.”

Why not go ahead and face the memories of you past hurt today?

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