Your Past Does Not Define You - Written Message

Reflection

Today, I want to get vulnerable and share part of my own story. I did not come to know the love and truth of Jesus until I was 40. There were things I did (be sure to listen to the video) that could have made it hard for me to love myself, believe that God loved me, or even imagine starting a fitness ministry. But through time spent in the loving arms of my Heavenly Father, I can truly say I no longer carry shame over my past.

Friend, hear me when I say that your history does not have to be your destiny. 

Satan wants you to believe the lie that your past defines you. He wants us to feel unloved, unworthy, and stuck. He’ll whisper that we can’t be used by God because of our history. But the reality is, our past does not limit us; it can be used by God to shape us into who He wants us to be. Our history is not our destiny. In fact, because of my past, God has used me in ways I never thought possible. 

No matter how many times you’ve tried to make healthy changes and fallen short, it doesn’t have to define your story moving forward. Believe that change is still possible. 

And no matter what you’ve done, if you’ve talked to God about it, asked for His forgiveness, and sought His help to change, then it is finished. Jesus paid for every sin on the cross. Don’t minimize what He’s done by holding onto what He has already covered. If God Himself has forgiven you, don’t let shame keep you from stepping into the life He has for you.

Here's the truth I’ve come to realize: nothing we do can make God love us less. His love is not based on our performance, appearance, or achievements-it's unconditional. He knows every thought I’ve had and every action I’ve done, and if He still loves me, that means I'm lovable and I will choose to love myself too. 

I was baptized in 2004, and my life looks very different now (so far from perfect but moving in the right direction). God took all my mistakes and all my brokenness and made something beautiful. I am living proof that nothing can separate us from His love, and nothing we’ve done or been through can make us unlovable in His eyes.

So, what about you, friend? Take some time to answer one or all of the journal questions below. 

Recommendations

Song: Fear is Not My Future by Maverick City

Book: The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery by David G. Benner