NOTE

Learn how to embrace your past

The good thing about embracing your past is that it can be a blessing to many as your testimony and also people, including Satan, will not be able to use it against you. There are times kasi na dahil sobrang apektado tayo ng past natin, nagiging weapon siya para madeceive tayo. Lalo na 8si Satan, he defines us by our sins and mistakes na nagawa natin in the past. But once you learn how to embrace it, you will be grateful nalang kasi God saved you from that mess.

For example 'yung story ni Hayden Kho. Many of us ang nakakaalam na involve siya sa kumalat na maraming scandal videos kasama ang iba't-ibang mga artista. He was depressed and suicidal until nakilala niya si Jesus and saved him. Now, he is using his testimony to inspire a lot of people. But there are a lot of people na bino-brought up padin 'yung mga past sins and mistakes niya. But once you learn how to embrace your past, it cannot be used against you anymore.

To make things clear lang, embracing your past and being proud of your past ay magkaiba. There are people kasi na parang proud pa sila sa mga kasalanang nagawa nila in the past.

Another example kay Joy Tanchi. She was raped by 7 men nung teenager palang siya sa mismong bahay nila. Pwede niyang itago 'yon, pwede niyang huwag ikwento 'yon pero she is courageous to share it with everyone. She embraced it and nakapagsulat pa siya ng book na "When a good God allows rape" which is sobrang blessing sa mga taong nakaranas ng sexual harassment.

Yung sa'kin naman, before nagmumura ako ng malutong kahit nag taga serve ako ni Lord  Kapag dumadaan ako dito sa'min, madalas tawag sa'kin Future pastora pero madalas din "banal banalan lang yan". Sasabihin ng mga tropa ko, " kapag nasa church lang daw ako mabait Alam namin ginagawa mo sa Church niyo pero kapag nasa labas na palamura na . Kaya naging question din yun sa sarili ko before kasi kapag nasa labas ako nadadala ako ng mga barkada pero habang nag ggrow ako nagigiging malinaw na sakin ang lahat. Binago ko ang sarili ko ,pinili ko na yung tama. Kung hindi ko ie-embrace 'yung past na 'yon, for sure magiging apektado ako kapag inaasar ako and will respond na, "Huwag niyo akong i-judge, hindi niyo alam ang mga pinagbago ko." But since I learned how to embrace it, I would smile at them nalang and mostly, ignore them. Embracing my past helps believers also para ma-overcome din nila 'yung struggles nila with lust and etc.

Same with other stories. Kung dati kang drug dependent, womanizer, may identity issues, galing ng broken family, broken relationships, at kung anu-ano pang stories, if you will just learn how to embrace your past, it will be a blessing to many and it cannot be used against you anymore.

We're forever grateful because God saved us from our past. The good thing also on our past is that kung hindi natin na-experience 'yon, maybe hindi intimate 'yung relationship natin with Christ. Hindi Niya lang tayo basta niligtas, He has given us also a new beginning and a new identity to become a children of God. People may still see or define us based on our past, but God sees us as a new creation because of what Christ has done for us on that cross. Kung palagi pa ding ibo-brought up ng ibang tao or ni Satan 'yung past mo, problema na nila 'yon. Don't be a prisoner of your past, you have been set free already. Remember, what matters is how God sees you. You are valuable because Christ died for you.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV