Where you’re headed is more important than where you’ve been. Release the pain of the past and trust that God has greater things ahead!
>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: LISTEN,
I WANT TO REMIND US
TO SPEND OUR TIME INVESTING
IN OUR FUTURE.
DON’T INVEST IN THE PAST.
INVESTING IN THE PAST IS
WHEN YOU RELIVE YOUR HURTS,
YOUR PAINS,
YOUR DISAPPOINTMENTS.
SEE, IT’S EASY TO FOCUS ON
WHO HURT YOU, WHAT DIDN’T
WORK OUT, WHAT MISTAKE YOU’VE
MADE, BUT YOU KNOW
WHAT THAT IS?
IT’S A BIG WASTE OF TIME
AND ENERGY.
WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED IN OUR PAST.
IT’S DONE, IT’S OVER WITH,
IT’S FINISHED, BUT WE CAN DO
SOMETHING ABOUT TODAY,
AND WHEN YOU BEGIN TO FOCUS
ON WHAT YOU CAN CHANGE
AND NOT WHAT YOU
CAN’T CHANGE, THAT IS
A GOOD INVESTMENT
IN THE FUTURE.
YOU KNOW, WE WEREN’T DESIGNED
TO CARRY AROUND A LOT OF
UNNECESSARY NEGATIVE BAGGAGE,
AND SOMETIMES WE FILL
OUR BAGS WITH BITTERNESS,
RESENTMENT, HEARTACHE,
BUT CAN I TELL YOU THAT
YOU’VE GOTTA GET UP EVERY DAY
AND LET THAT STUFF GO?
FORGIVE THE PEOPLE WHO
OFFENDED YOU, RELEASE THEM,
FORGIVE YOURSELF.
YOU SEE, WHEN YOU ARE WEIGHED
DOWN WITH ALL OF THIS JUNK,
IT’S HARD TO SEE WHERE
YOU’RE GOING.
IT’S HARD TO EVEN BE READY
TO GET THERE.
ONE TIME JOEL AND I,
WE HAD SCHEDULED
BACK-TO-BACK WORK TRIPS.
WE REALLY DON’T EVER DO THIS,
BUT THIS JUST HAPPENED TO BE
AN INSTANCE THAT WE DID THIS.
WE HAD COME HOME FROM A WEEK
OUT, AND WE CAME BACK IN,
AND WE ONLY HAD, LIKE,
TWO HOURS TO BE AT HOME,
AND THEN WE’D HAVE
TO TURN AROUND,
HEAD BACK TO THE AIRPORT.
WELL, ON THE WAY HOME,
ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT
WAS THOSE DIRTY CLOTHES
IN MY SUITCASE.
THERE WAS A WEEK’S WORTH
OF DIRTY CLOTHES IN MY SUITCASE.
WHEN I GOT HOME,
I DUMPED ALL THOSE
DIRTY CLOTHES, AND I BEGAN
TO REFRESH MY SUITCASE.
SOMETHING AMAZING HAPPENED.
WHERE I WAS TIRED AND ANXIOUS
ON MY WAY HOME,
JUST THINKING ABOUT ALL THAT
IN MY SUITCASE,
I BECAME REFRESHED,
AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
I WAS PREPARED TO GO ON
MY NEXT TRIP BECAUSE I HAD
EXCHANGED THAT DIRTY CLOTHES
WITH FRESH NEW CLOTHES,
AND DO YOU KNOW,
A LOT OF TIMES,
WE GET SO WEIGHED DOWN WITH
THIS EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE
OF CLUTTER THAT’S FULL OF PAIN
AND HEARTACHE
THAT WE LOSE OUR PASSION
AND EXCITEMENT FOR LIVING?
IN FACT, WE’RE NOT EVEN
PREPARED WHERE GOD
WANTS US TO GO.
WE’RE JUST TOO WEIGHED DOWN
AND ANXIOUS.
CAN I TELL YOU THAT YOU NEED
TO REFRESH YOUR EMOTIONAL
BAGGAGE EVERY SINGLE DAY?
YOU NEED TO LEARN TO TRAVEL
LIGHT, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU
THIS: WHERE YOU’RE GOING
IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT
THAN WHERE YOU’VE BEEN,
BUT YOU CAN’T BE WEIGHED DOWN
FROM THE PAST.
YOU KNOW, TOO OFTEN
PEOPLE DON’T EVEN ENJOY
WHAT THEY’RE DOING TODAY.
THEY CAN’T ENJOY
THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT
THEY’RE LIVING IN TODAY
BECAUSE THEY’RE TOO FOCUSED
ON YESTERDAY.
THERE WAS A WOMAN
WHO HAD BEEN DIVORCED
FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS,
AND ONE DAY
SHE MET THIS MAN,
AND HE WAS A VERY NICE MAN.
HE SEEMED TO BE VERY HAPPY.
HE WAS SUCCESSFUL.
HE WENT TO CHURCH.
SHE WAS EXCITED
ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES,
BUT SHE MADE A MISTAKE.
WHEN SHE WENT INTO THAT
RELATIONSHIP, SHE BEGAN TO
CONSTANTLY TALK ABOUT HER
HURTS AND PAINS OF THE PAST.
SHE WOULD DESCRIBE WHY SHE
ACTED CERTAIN WAYS OR WHY
SHE SAID CERTAIN THINGS.
IT WAS BECAUSE SHE WAS SO
HURT BY HER FIRST HUSBAND.
YOU KNOW, AFTER A WHILE, THAT
MAN TOLD ONE OF HER FRIENDS,
HE SAID, “YOU KNOW, SHE’S SO
FOCUSED ON WHAT HAPPENED
TO HER, SHE CAN’T
MOVE FORWARD.
WE’RE NOT MAKING ANY KIND
OF CONNECTION HERE,
AND I REALLY DON’T FEEL LIKE
THE RELATIONSHIP IS RIGHT.”
SO, HE DECIDED
THAT HE WAS JUST GOING
TO QUIT SEEING HER.
BECAUSE SHE MADE THE MISTAKE
OF LIVING IN THE PAST,
SHE FAILED AT AN OPPORTUNITY
THAT SHE HAD FOR HER FUTURE.
SEE, WHEN YOU CARRY NEGATIVE
BAGGAGE INTO YOUR
RELATIONSHIPS, YOU CAN RUIN
MANY RELATIONSHIPS.
SEE, WE’VE GOT TO DECIDE
THAT IT’S TIME TO LET IT GO.
IT’S TIME TO PUT IT IN THE
PAST, TO SHUT THE DOOR TO IT.
ONE TIME, JOEL AND I
WERE GOING TO THIS, LIKE,
HIGHLY SECURE
GOVERNMENT BUILDING,
AND SO THERE WAS TWO SETS
OF DOUBLE DOORS.
SO WE STOOD IN FRONT
OF THE FIRST SET OF DOORS
AND IT OPENED UP,
AND WE BEGAN TO WALK
PAST THOSE DOORS TO GO
THROUGH THE SECOND SET, BUT
WE NOTICED THE SECOND SET
WOULD NOT OPEN UNTIL
THE FIRST SET CLOSED,
AND DO YOU KNOW, IN LIFE,
YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE
TO WALK THROUGH OPEN DOORS
UNTIL YOU CLOSE THE DOORS
THAT ARE BEHIND YOU?
WHEN YOU’RE HOLDING ON
TO BITTERNESS, REGRET,
THE MISTAKES YOU’VE MADE,
IT’LL GET YOU STUCK.
IT’S LIKE A TRAP YOU
CAN’T GET OUT OF.
YEARS AGO, THAT THE WAY
HUNTERS USED TO TRAP MONKEYS
WAS THEY WOULD TAKE A BIG
BARREL AND THEY WOULD
FILL IT FULL OF BANANAS,
AND AT THE END OF THAT BARREL,
THEY WOULD CUT A VERY
SMALL HOLE, JUST BIG ENOUGH
FOR THE MONKEY
TO GET ITS HAND
AND ARM THROUGH.
NOW, THE MONKEY, UNAWARE THAT
THIS WAS A TRAP, WOULD STICK
HIS HAND IN THERE AND GRAB
A FISTFUL OF BANANAS.
BUT THE PROBLEM WAS, AS LONG
AS HE WAS HOLDING ON TO THOSE
BANANAS, HE COULDN’T GET HIS
HAND OUT OF THE BARREL.
YOU SEE, HE COULD HAVE JUST
SIMPLY LET THE BANANAS GO,
TAKEN HIS HAND OUT OF THE
BARREL, AND GONE ON HIS WAY.
BUT SEE, BECAUSE HE WAS
HOLDING ON TO THE BARREL,
HE WAS TRAPPED,
AND HE COULDN’T GET AWAY.
SEE, WE CAN’T LET
YESTERDAY TRAP US.
WE CANNOT BE TRAPPED IN
THE PAST WHEN GOD HAS
A BRIGHT FUTURE.
UNFAIR THINGS HAPPEN
TO ALL OF US.
WE EXPERIENCE LOSS.
WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES.
PEOPLE HURT US.
WE BECOME OFFENDED,
BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION
THAT WE’RE NOT GOING
TO INVEST IN THOSE THINGS.
YOU SEE, WE’LL HAVE
NEGATIVE SEASONS.
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT TROUBLE
WILL COME.
WE WILL HAVE SEASONS OF
DISAPPOINTMENT, SEASONS THAT
WE DON’T ALWAYS CARE FOR,
BUT WE CAN’T ALLOW THAT
SEASON TO DEFINE OUR LIFE.
WE CAN’T WEAR THE LABELS
OF THAT SEASON.
YOU SEE, WE’VE GOT TO PUT
OUR FOOT DOWN AND SAY,
“NO MORE.”
“GOD WANTS TO GIVE YOU
BEAUTY FOR ASHES,”
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS,
BUT YOU CANNOT RECEIVE
THE BEAUTY IF YOU DON’T GIVE
GOD YOUR ASHES.
THE BEST WAY IS TO GIVE GOD
YOUR HURTS, YOUR PAINS, AND
THEN OPEN UP WIDE SO THAT YOU
CAN RECEIVE THE BEAUTY
THAT HE HAS IN STORE FOR YOU.
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS THIS:
“THINK ON THESE THINGS,
THINGS THAT ARE GOOD,
THINGS THAT ARE PURE,
THINGS THAT ARE TRUSTWORTHY,
OF A GOOD REPORT.”
SEE, THESE ARE THE THINGS
WE ARE SUPPOSED TO SET
OUR MIND ON.
WHEN WE SET OUR MIND ON THE
GOOD THINGS THAT GOD HAS FOR
US, WHEN WE BEGIN TO SET OUR
MIND ON WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT
US, WHEN WE BEGIN TO COUNT
OUR BLESSINGS, THAT IS
INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE.
THAT IS THE BEST INVESTMENT
THAT WE CAN MAKE.
I WANT TO SAY IT
ONE MORE TIME: LET IT GO.
JUST LET IT GO.
IF THERE’S ANYTHING HOLDING
YOU BACK TODAY, IT’S TOO HIGH
OF A PRICE TO PAY.
LET IT GO, BECAUSE GOD’S GOT
BIGGER AND GREATER THINGS
IN YOUR FUTURE,
AND WHERE YOU’RE GOING
IS WAY MORE IMPORTANT
THAN WHERE YOU’VE BEEN, AMEN?
I JUST WANT TO TAKE AN
OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW
FOR EVERY ONE OF US
TO LET GO OF ASHES,
TO RELEASE THEM TO GOD.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN HEAR
A SERMON AND WE CAN SAY
WE’RE GOING TO DO IT, BUT I JUST
WANT TO TAKE THIS TIME RIGHT
NOW BECAUSE HOW IMPORTANT IT
IS FOR US TO JUST GIVE GOD
THESE HURTS AND PAINS,
TO RELEASE THEM SO WE CAN
RECEIVE OUR BRIGHT FUTURE.
SO, RIGHT NOW, JUST THROUGH
YOUR EYES OF FAITH,
LET’S JUST PRAY.
FATHER, I THANK YOU
RIGHT NOW.
WE’VE HEARD THIS MESSAGE.
WE KNOW IT TO BE TRUE, GOD.
WE’VE EXPERIENCED THIS
PHENOMENON OF LIVING IN OUR
PAST AND HOW IT HOLDS US
BACK, AND, FATHER,
WE DON’T WANT THAT ANYMORE.
WE WANT TO CLOSE THE DOOR
TO OUR PAST SO, FATHER,
YOU CAN OPEN THE DOOR
TO FRESH NEW OPPORTUNITY.
GOD, YOU SAID THAT YOUR
MERCIES ARE FRESH
AND NEW EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO, FATHER, WE WANT TO PICK
UP THOSE FRESH, NEW MERCIES.
WE WANT TO UNLOAD THAT
EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE,
THOSE THINGS THAT
DIDN’T WORK OUT, AND, GOD,
WE WANT TO REFRESH OUR MENTAL
ASPECT AND OUR MENTAL LIFE.
FATHER, WE WANT TO KNOW
THAT YOU ARE FOR US
AND NOT AGAINST US.
SO, WE DECLARE RIGHT NOW,
FATHER, AS WE LET GO OF
THE ASHES, WE ARE RECEIVING
YOUR BEAUTY.
THANK YOU, FATHER,
FOR GOOD OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU FOR GREAT FAMILIES,
WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIPS.
THANK YOU, FATHER, THAT
EVERYTHING WE PUT OUR HAND
TO WILL PROSPER AND SUCCEED
BECAUSE, GOD, WE’VE GOT
A FRESH NEW MENTAL ATTITUDE.
THANK YOU, FATHER, THAT
YOU’RE BLESSING FAR EXCEEDS
ANYTHING WE’VE EVER DONE
IN THE PAST.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT
YOU’RE DOING AND EVERYTHING
THAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO,
IN JESUS’S NAME,
> JOEL: THANKS FOR
WATCHING THIS
MESSAGE. I HOPE
YOU ENJOYED IT.
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> VICTORIA: LET US
KNOW IN THE
COMMENTS BELOW HOW
THIS MESSAGE HAS
ENCOURAGED YOU.
WE WOULD LOVE TO
HEAR FROM YOU.
WE’RE PRAYING FOR
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
WE’LL SEE YOU
NEXT TIME!