How to redeem your past for a better tomorrow

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

Matthew 5:23-24

Some years ago in a small Idaho town, police received a call one night from neighbors who reported seeing a car driving around the neighborhood in reverse. So they sent a patrol out to check and found the driver of the car to be a teenage girl in her parents’ car.

The girl explained to the police, “My parents loaned me the car for a few days and I just realized I had put too much mileage on it. So I starting driving around in reverse to try to unwind some of it.”

That girl learned a tough lesson that night: you can’t undo what’s been done. And very often, we make mistakes we wish so hard we could undo. Perhaps we used harsh words with someone and want to take them back. Maybe we hurt a relationship by being dishonest. Or, perhaps we betrayed a friend’s trust that we may never get back.

As much as we may want to, we can’t erase those things. The mileage is already on the car. But what we can do is respond to what’s happened in grace and repentance and find a way to move forward. Don’t try to erase the past. Accept it, reconcile with others, and redeem it for a better tomorrow!

Prayer Challenge

Ask God to show you ways you can reconcile with others to redeem your past and have a better future.

Questions for Thought

What are some things in your past you wish you could erase? How do those things make you feel today?

How might reconciling with others provide you a healthy, God-honoring way to move forward from those past pains toward a better future?