Do you ever find yourself rehashing in your mind, over and over situations in your life?

Perhaps you made a decision you regret with one of your children, or snapped at your spouse when they asked you a question or you just really messed up a situation with a friend? And then, you find yourself reliving the situation over and over in your mind—recounting what happened, and what you could have done. The more we push the replay button, the more we find that we come up short, that there were things we should have done differently.

Unfortunately, when we spend or time rehashing and reliving the situations they often become magnified in our minds. The mistakes become like links in a chain link fence that are wrapped around our hearts.

Has this ever happened to you?

I know I have spent more time magnifying and reliving the mistakes in my life than I really should. The littlest things have become huge in my mind and as a result have shaped my thinking, my relationships with others and who I believe I am. But, my friend, this is not what God wants for you (or me).

God knows that sometimes we are going to make mistakes. Sometimes, we are going to do some really dumb things. He knew even before he sent Jesus to die for our sins that we would continue to mess up.

And you know what? He still loves us anyway. He is not keeping score of our mistakes and doesn’t expect us to either. Keeping score is a tactic of Satan to keep you from doing what God is calling you to do. Satan wants you to feel that shame, that sense that you are not good enough.

But, you are! God said so. He sent his son (now imagine that) to die on a cross for you, he loves you that much. Once you accept him as your Savior, he says, all those things—the big mistakes, the little mistakes and the misunderstandings—they are no longer part of who you are.

God is looking forward, yesterday is behind you! So, you need to look forward as well.

Focus on who God is calling you to be!

There will still be times when you will mess up, we all do, but my friend, you need to shake off the dirt, tell God all about it and move forward. No need for you to dwell on it if God is not dwelling on it.

Let go of those mistakes and look ahead!