Do you know how it feels to be defined by your past? You know, you did some thing, you got busted, there was a lot of shame involved and now, no matter what you do, everyone in your life sees you through the lens of that one thing. You start to feel as if it’s deeper than just having done that thing... it’s like you are that thing. You know what I mean? Everyone in your life paints you with this one brush. It’s almost like being branded or named after your past sins. Some of the guys I work with literally have their past tattooed all over themselves. They physically can’t get away from who they used to be. Their mugshots have been on the newspaper and television. Their parents, friends, spouses and kids see them as criminals, period. Being defined by your past can be a desperate feeling. It makes you want to give up trying to be anything different than who you were because that’s really who you are now, right? Wrong. Your past does not define you. If you have believed in Jesus, you are not who you were. You’re something completely new. One thing I absolutely love about Jesus is that He was constantly giving people new names. He loved to nickname people. He called a guy named Simon, “Rocky.” He called these two explosive brothers, “The Sons Of Thunder.” He raised a little girl from the dead once by calling her, “Little Lamb.” Jesus gives people a new start. He says He has a new name for you, too. It’s not your past. It’s a whole new thing. One day you’ll see it... a white stone with a new name, for a new you.
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