We all have a past and a story. We may be proud of some stories, while other stories we may be shameful of. We try to forget the hurt of our bad past by hiding it in the bottom pile of our memories, however, your past doesn’t have to hurt you.

I was worshipping and thanking God for the opportunity I had to share my clothing line and blog at a conference not too long ago. In the middle of my worship and praise, God reminded me of my past.

A past that once hurt me, broke me and left me to shame.

But to my surprise, as I was reminded of my past, it no longer hurt me but brought tears of joy down my eyes. Remembering my past reminded me of how much God loved me because I couldn’t have been where I am today without his love and grace.

Flashes of memories of what God has done for me in the past 2 years started to come in my mind. It was at that moment when I saw a loving father reach out to a lost girl to help her find her way out; bringing people into her life that she needed to have, putting a passion in her heart for God’s purpose, and opening doors to make it happen. That lost girl was me and I could only have what I have today because of a loving father.

You too have a loving father who longs to transform your life into something beautiful. It doesn’t matter who you were or what you did – God’s love has the power to use your past that once hurt you to heal you.

Ephesians 2:3-4 says, “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh..we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ..it is by grace you have been saved.” God loves you so much that your past doesn’t even determine his love for you. He saved you not because you were worthy of saving, but because of his grace and love for you.

You have the opportunity to have a fresh new start and live a life to the fullest through Jesus. God’s hands are open, but you must give your life up to the hands of God for him to change your life. God has the power to use your shameful past for his glory. God can turn your pain into gain, your shame into his fame.

Paul, an apostle of God who wrote most of the New Testament of the Bible had a bad past. He persecuted the church of God and killed many believers of Jesus. Despite all of this, God called him out to carry the gospel of Christ and to be the light to the world. Paul says in Galatians 1:15 “But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace..to reveal his son in me so that I might preach him..”

Just as God called Paul, he also calls you. God wants to transform your hurtful past into a beautiful story that will testify of his goodness. God wants your past that once hurt you to now remind you of his love for you.

God’s love is what changed me, and it’s his love that will change people. 

My past that once hurt me now heals me. My past now only reminds me of God’s greater love and grace upon my life. Satan wants us to stay bounded by our past and will plant lies in our head that we can only be what we are. But God wants us to know that he has the power to use what harmed us to bring light and hope to the lost – to further his kingdom here on earth.

 Your bad past will not disqualify God from using you. 

1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people..God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” God went out of his way to pull you from the dark into his light. God is calling you to a greater life full of purpose that will leave an eternal impact on people. Will you answer to his call? Will you walk into the light he has prepared for you? God has plans to use you – everything you are including the good and the bad. So remember, your past doesn’t have to hurt you.