Letting Go of the Past

Letter From the Pastor

Isaiah 43:18–19 (NRSV): Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

Letting Go of the Past

Summary: God calls us to release the past—not to forget, but to move forward with grace, freedom, and new purpose.

All of us carry things from the past—regrets, old wounds, mistakes, or stories we’ve told ourselves for too long. Sometimes we hold on because we don’t know how to let go. Other times, we believe we should carry it, as if our pain proves something about who we are. But Scripture reminds us that God is not in the business of keeping score. God is in the business of healing, redeeming, and making all things new.

The Apostle Paul puts it beautifully in Philippians 3:13–14: “This one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul had plenty of baggage in his past—persecution, pride, and deep remorse. But he didn’t let it define him. He let grace shape the story. He kept his eyes forward—toward Christ.

Letting go of the past doesn’t mean pretending it never happened. It means releasing its power to define your worth or limit your future. It means trusting that God can use even our broken pieces for something beautiful.

Is there something you’re holding onto that God is gently asking you to release? A memory, a guilt, a grudge, or an identity that no longer fits? You don’t have to carry it anymore.

God offers freedom. Not just from sin—but from shame. Not just from mistakes—but from the stories that keep you stuck.

Let go. Press forward. You are being made new.

Pastor Anny+