Wrestling with Self Forgiveness (Part 6)
In the battle to eliminate negative thoughts, we must pray to God about matters out of our control. Maybe others are involved, and we fear what their attitudes or actions will be toward us. If we have done all that we can, let God have it. We may need to pray about it several times. The effort is worth it. By praying, we can learn to let go of our past. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
For many, the problem is that we do not want to let go. We want to control and “fix” things. This attitude is deceptive. It does not eliminate the past but reinforces our failures by getting us to dwell on them. If we think we can “fix” or “control” things, we will not let the past go, and it will continue to haunt us. We do not need to be a “fixer” or have “control.” If we want peace, we will give it to God and let it go from our thoughts entirely.
Letting go of problems takes practice. Our past troubles sometimes seem to spin around in our minds endlessly. We let go by replacing those spinning thoughts with prayerful thoughts. God takes our prayers and makes something of them that we cannot. If we will trust God completely, we can let go of our past and go forward, but we cannot hang onto those things. If we do not let them go, God cannot take them. He will not force us to surrender them. We must surrender them willingly.
God bless you, and I love you.
Kevin Cauley