Ephesians 4:26 - 31

I) Introduction

• How can we ensure next time won’t be like the last time!

• We are focusing on our spiritual life but what we are going to discover can be applied to any area of one’s life (finances, relationships, career, etc.).

• We learn from our mistakes in the areas that matter least (games, hobbies, sports, etc.).

• We repeat our mistakes in the areas of our lives that matter most (faith, relationships, etc).

Illusions

1. Experience makes me wiser!

• Experience alone does not make you wiser.  (Evaluated experience makes you wiser.  Evaluation of one’s experience can be a game-changer)  James 1:2 “Count it all joy . . .”  Count means to evaluate

1. Since I know better, I’ll do better!

• Knowing better ≠ doing better.

• Knowing better ≠ the ability to do better.

1. Time is your enemy!

• Time is not your enemy, it is your friend.

• Leverage time to work for you by pausing long enough to evaluate and heal.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  God is doing something and God is going to leverage my past for my good.  We must:

1. Take Responsibility - One must own one’s role in one’s negative history.  Therefore, one must pause long enough to own one’s responsibility.

2. Renewed Mind – Romans 12:2 “What were you thinking?”  Regret and resolve are not enough to live differently – one must renew one’s mind.

3. Let Go of it

II) Let Go Of It

How long do you plan to allow the people who mistreated you to influence you?  How do you stop allowing those people to influence you?  

You decide!  Learn from the past but don’t let the past define you!  You have the ability to decide to leave the past behind once you make up your mind.  There is enough pain in life without one dragging all the pain of the past into one’s future.  Release the past so the past can release you!  

Forgiveness!  Forgiveness is what allows one to learn from the past without carrying all the baggage from the past into one’s future.  

Ephesians 4:26 – 31

• Do not (decision one makes; acknowledge your anger and then make a decision)

• Do not give - gift

• Devil – slanderer, liar, deceive (put in the name of the person that hurt you)

• Foothold – a staging ground

• Get rid of – something you do; you don’t have to be a victim

• Forgiving – pardon

The only way to break the chain from your past is to decide to forgive (pardon).  The best thing one can do for their future is to pardon.  Forgiveness uncouples their (the one that hurt you) impact on your future.

If you do these things, your past will remind you but it will not define you.  Own it, rethink it, and then release it!

Prayer of Release:  Heavenly Father, I want to have a new beginning by making a fresh commitment to pardon those who have hurt me.  These feelings of anger, bitterness, and rage and all the behavior that accompanies it; I ask for your forgiveness in harboring these emotions and I decide to forgive those who have caused the anger in my life.  I release them from anything that I have felt that they owe me.  In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen!