Don’t Let Your Past Dictate Who You Are,
But Let It Be A Part Of What You Have Become 
by Theresa Corum, Editor

If you are more than one hour old, you have a past. The older you become, the more history you have, and some of your past may be too dreadful to even mention. It could be that you have not allowed sin to cost you too much, keep you too long, and take you too far. Let me encourage you to not let your past dictate who you are, but let it be a part of what you have become. We are all a product of our life experiences. Therefore, we must take what we have experienced in life and allow it to frame us as a person of integrity, honor, and respect. You may be thinking that this is impossible. Sometimes, due to the mistakes in our lives, some of us will have to work harder, and it may take longer for others to see the person they really are. Nevertheless, don’t give up. We are like little children in many ways. When a toddler reaches their hand into the cookie jar, their parents tells them, “No, no. You will ruin your dinner.” When the child does it anyway, they will more than likely get into trouble. As this child begins to grow, they learn to not get into the cookie jar before dinner. They don’t grow up to have temper tantrums because they can’t eat a cookie before dinner; they just know not to eat cookies before dinner. This child has allowed the experience to be a part of what they have become. This is a simple lesson we can adopt and apply to our lives. If we get caught with our hand in the cookie jar, it doesn’t mean we should keep our hand in the cookie jar. Make the right choice and get out of sin! When your sins find you out, choose to REPENT! Stop it! Replace it! Exchange unrighteousness deeds with righteous deeds. Don’t let a bad experience dictate who you are, but let it be a part of what you have become.

Sometimes you may think it is better to jump ship than to stay in the boat and weather the storm. If you are like me, you may feel at times you live in the Titanic. Staying on is too much stress, and jumping ship doesn’t look much better. So, hang in there.