Addressing Your Past

When telling your story of salvation, you might be asked, "What was your life like before you met Christ?" Your answer to that question will be different from everyone who has experienced Jesus's grace and forgiveness. You might answer, "I did not realize what sin was or who Jesus is before I first heard the Gospel." Another person might say, "I was a wreck. I had no one in my life. I was depressed, doing drugs, and getting into trouble." You might not have a glaring past, but your life before Christ is part of your salvation story.

The woman at the well had a past, and Jesus addressed it. John 4:16-18 says, "He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." 17 "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband.18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."

Would you like to talk about your past? Do you want to address the sins you committed before reading your Bible or this devotional? Chances are you want to avoid addressing your past mistakes. The woman at the well probably did not want to address her past either. Her past was filled with mistakes and shame. She had a bad reputation with her community. She had multiple husbands, and the guy she lived with at the time of her conversation with Jesus was not her husband. Imagine how it must have felt when Jesus, the Messiah, addressed her past.

But we must address our past and our mistakes. We must admit our failures because, even if they are not as extreme as another's failures, we all have them. When we address our past, we open the invitation for grace. We realize that the grace Jesus gives us is sweeter than we could have imagined.

It can be hard to accept Jesus's grace and forgiveness. We often ask, "How could God forgive me for my horrible past?" I struggle with understanding grace. What helps me is remembering that if Jesus can forgive a person like the woman at the well for her mistakes, then Jesus can forgive me.

Address your past and admit it to Jesus. Then, embrace the grace and forgiveness in exchange.