Let Go Of Our Painful Past—Part 6
Moses didn’t use the words “I have a painful past.” But he might just as well have, because going back to the Enchanted City in Egypt was the last thing he wanted to do.
Listen, Moses, dreaming God’s dreams for us often requires letting go of painful past experiences.
I’ve had to say those words to myself: “Listen, David Mains, dreaming God’s dreams for us often requires letting go of painful past experiences.”
And I repeat the words for you, whatever your name is. Dreaming God’s dreams for us often requires letting go of painful past experiences.
Do you identify at all with the words of this prayer:
Lord,
Daring to dream again sounds so good.
But sometimes memories of broken dreams haunt me.
Help me let go of the pain
That keeps me from responding to Your gentle nudgings.
Your presence encourages me to set aside fear
And to become a spiritual risk-taker.
I want Your dreams for me to be my dreams as well.
AMEN
If this prayer had been written in Moses’ day, he might well have resonated with it. At first it appeared he had no intention of coming out of hiding—of daring to•dream again. That left a question to be answered. How then could the people of God be delivered from their oppression?
The answer is that Moses needed to be healed of painful memories in order to do his divinely assigned job. He would have to learn to break through this barrier that held him back. The Lord needed to help His servant let go of the hurt of his past. Fortunately, that’s God’s specialty, isn’t it—healing broken people.
God would gently nudge Moses into action. His yet-to-be hero dared not live with a “forever victim” mentality. Sooner or later the “spiritual hero” side of all of us should begin to emerge also. That can happen as the church, which needs to be more than a ward for the walking-wounded, points the way to healing and helps us move forward.
If this doesn’t happen, we are a sad bunch indeed. We can’t be part of the Lord’s magnificent dream for this world if we are held back by painful memories.
———————————————
Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about?
Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?
David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Saturday or Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions.
We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
