8 February_IGNITE YOUR DAY: Healing from the Past—Walking in Freedom

IGNITE YOUR DAY: Healing from the Past—Walking in Freedom

Key Text: John 8:36
"Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

True healing is only possible when God is part of the journey.
Healing from past wounds—the pain of betrayal, rejection, guilt, loss, & abuse—requires His power and grace.

As we conclude this week, we must ask ourselves:
If you are healing, or if you have been healed, what comes next?

Healing is not just about letting go of the past;
It is about walking in the freedom that Christ has given you.
It means living as a transformed person—
No longer defined by your past wounds, but by God’s grace.

It doesn’t matter what you have done or what has been done to you.
When you look to the grace of God, you can say, "By His grace, I choose to move forward."

So, will you continue to walk in healing, or will you return to past pain?

Throughout this week, you may have identified with aspects of the message
Perhaps through the struggles of rejection, abuse, or deep wounds from the past.
I trust that you have chosen to pursue healing.
But the question remains:
Will you be able to walk in that healing, or will you be drawn back into the past?

Healing is a Process, Not an Event
Healing does not happen overnight. It is a journey.
Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:13-14:

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Paul had to intentionally let go of his past and move forward.
Yet, he acknowledges the challenge—
"I must be careful, lest I retreat."

Healing is not a single moment of prayer;
It requires an ongoing journey of faith.
Your past will try to call you back—
The pain, the guilt, the disappointments will seek to pull you in.
But you must press forward.

The past has a way of resurfacing emotions,
Of bringing back old wounds and making them feel fresh again.
You must choose to push those memories aside and focus on what lies ahead.

Healing is revealed in how you move forward.
Stop dwelling on the past.
Stop speaking constantly about your wounds.
Instead, let your life reflect the transformation that Christ has brought.

Joseph’s story in Genesis 50:20 is a clear example:
He did not let the betrayal of his brothers define him.
Instead, he walked forward in purpose.

So, will you allow your past to define you?
Or will you move forward in the victory Christ has given you?

Have You Truly Released the Past?
It’s one thing to say you have forgiven,
But have you truly let go?
Are you still holding on to fragments of past pain?

Healing cannot be fully realized if you are still clinging to pieces of past wounds.
You must release not only the past but also the labels attached to it.

2 Corinthians 5:17 declares:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

That means the pain, the hurt, the trauma, and the brokenness must be left behind.
If you have given your ashes to Christ, then speak about the beauty He has given you,
The enemy will try to remind you of who you were,
But God calls you a new creation.

You are not your past mistakes.
You are not defined by your past wounds.
You are not a failure.

You are a child of God—restored & made whole.
Celebrate that reality.

Rahab was labeled a prostitute, but in God’s eyes, she became part of the lineage of Jesus (Matthew 1:5).
Peter was labeled a coward for denying Jesus,
Yet God used him powerfully in Acts 2:14.

So, what labels are you still carrying that God has already removed?
What names have others called you?
What stigma have you borne for years?

If God has erased it, remove it from your heart as well.

Forgiveness Seals Your Healing
Colossians 3:13 reminds us:

"Bear with one another and forgive one another. If anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must forgive."

Healing is incomplete without forgiveness.

If you are still holding onto resentment toward someone who hurt you,
You need to release them.

Forgiveness does not mean excusing the wrong.
It means setting yourself free from the weight of pain.

If thinking about someone still stirs anger,
If you cannot bear to see them or hear their name,
Then you have not fully forgiven.

Even Jesus, while on the cross, forgave those who crucified Him.
Stephen, as he was being stoned, prayed for his persecutors (Acts 7:59-60).

If they could forgive, so can you.

Who Do You Need to Forgive Today?
Take a moment to search your heart.
Is there someone you are still holding onto in bitterness?
Is there an unresolved wound that you have not fully let go of?

Forgive them today, so you may walk in the freedom Christ has given you.

John 8:36 is clear:
"If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

True freedom comes when you release the past.
You cannot claim healing while still bound to yesterday’s wounds.