While packing my stuff this morning to leave Colorado, Father reminded me of my trip to Manitou Springs. I felt led to share it here before I leave in the next hour.
Climbing Manitou Incline is quite a workout. Over 2,000 steps…gaining over 2,000 feet in elevation.
One of the topics Father and I discussed as I climbed the steps was something I learned from Louis L’Amour. Looking at your back trail is just as important as looking at where you are going.
I am not a fan of man’s teachings typically. Mostly, they are based on a lie-based belief system. One of the sayings I often hear spewing out of the mouths of man is…if you haven’t forgotten…then you haven’t forgiven.
Then you see or hear…PREACH!
THAT!
AMEN!
RIGHT ON!
You know…people chiming in to give their full support of the foolishness of man.
That saying rankles me…it is lies and deception. False teaching. 🙄
It is indeed possible that someone could be holding onto unforgiveness from those who have wronged them in the past. Absolutely true.
But it could also be equally true that a person has forgiven those who have wronged them…and has moved forward…choosing better because they learned from their past mistakes.
An Example
A woman is molested by someone in her family. Say it is a dad or an uncle.
As an adult, she LOOKS at her back trail and deals with the pain of her past. She does the necessary inner healing to be able to forgive the man who molested her. She got the freedom she needed in that particular situation of her childhood.
NOW…just because she forgave him doesn’t mean she is supposed to foolishly throw away the memories. 🤔
IF he was repentant and had changed…then she may want to be in a relationship with him. BUT…it would be foolish to leave her own children alone with him after knowing who he was. You don’t leave a child with a known child molester. See?????
Memories are for our benefit. 😍
Studying History
One of the MAIN points of studying history…is to look at our back trail and evaluate our past with a critical eye…looking to the future so we don’t repeat the same mistakes we made in our past.
Man wants you to completely erase the past and forget about it. Bury it. Suppress it.
That works if your goal is to continue repeating the same death choices and patterns you have made in your past. However, if you want to choose life with Father…He requires you to CLEAN up the past by digging out the infection in your heart and mind, look at it with a humble repentant heart and a critical discerning eye…confessing those sins or acts of disobedience…and learn from it all. He wants to use your past to teach you. Your past is a well He can pull up water from to grow you…and give water to the thirsty…from your heart and mind.
Last night, Vanessa and I were watching a show. The man was consulting a preacher about a situation. The preacher said…you know your sins are forgiven right.
Again…more lies and deception. False beliefs. False teaching.
That isn’t how it works with Father. If you want forgiveness…you must ask for it. Christ died for you…but you must ask Him to forgive you for EACH sin you have committed in order to erase the debts you owe Him.
More on that later.
It is ALWAYS an uphill climb with Him. A workout. 😳