Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Three of The Biggest Decisions I've Ever Made

Of all the modern technologies in the world, I think the one I have appreciated the most is the DVR. A DVR attaches to your TV much like the old VHS player and gives you the ability to record your favorite shows and movies as they are playing on TV, but there are no tapes to keep up with. What I love most about it is the ability to hit "pause" when I am interrupted with something so that I don't miss the last second shot in the game, and I can hit "rewind" if I want to see something again that had value. My kids love to hit rewind when watching America's Funniest Home Videos and watch the really funny parts over and over again...like the man who tried to snow ski off his rooftop and land in the back of a pickup, only to have misjudged the distance and landed on his backside on the ground.

This is all fun and good when we are talking about being able to record your favorite shows or ball game. But the truth is that all of us have a "DVR" built into our brain. And it has the ability to hit rewind at a moment's notice, sometimes when we want it to, and sometimes when we don't. And for most of us, we end up spending time rewinding the tape back to the events of our past that have caused us a lot of heartache and pain...a failed marriage, abusive words from a parent, a poor decision that led into sin. The program menu is different for everyone. But the result is often the same - deep regrets and unhealed wounds that, when not properly dealt with, lead us to be ineffective witnesses for Jesus.

Allow me to speak from my own life for a moment. All too frequently, I find myself "pulling out tapes" from two main files in my past. These seem to be my favorites. I've named the files "Choices Others Have Made That Have Wounded Me" and "Choices I Have Made That Have Wounded Me." If I'm not careful, I could easily build an entire library of nothing but tapes from these two categories.

And I don't think I'm alone. While our past definitely affects us, it does not have to define us and determine our future. So how do we get rid of the tapes that exist in these two categories so that we can shine the light of Jesus brighter than ever? And how can we keep them from accumulating in the future so that we have more room in our "DVR" for the good things in life? While I am no expert or professional counselor, I would like to share three big decisions God has used to help me personally get rid of the "old and destructive" and start accumulating the "new and productive."

One of the biggest decisions I have ever made in my life came at the age of 20 when I chose to believe what the Bible says about me as a Christ follower. Romans 8:1 says "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." This verse helped me realize that I was already forgiven for the mistakes of my past and God wasn't holding them over my head anymore. That applies today just as powerfully as it did then. I am covered by the blood of Jesus. At the same time, believing what the Bible says about me was not a one-time event, but has become a pillar in my decision-making from that time on that has helped keep me from rewinding the tape.

A second big decision I have had to make (time and time again) has been to forgive myself for my mistakes. Sometimes I think it is easier to accept God's forgiveness that it is to forgive ourselves. Often times we feel like we have to punish ourselves when we mess up so that our conscience can be relieved. But the reality is that Jesus has already been punished for our mistakes and if God is willing to forgive us, we have a huge pride problem if we choose not to forgive ourselves. Again, this is something I am learning.

A third big decision I have had to make is the choice to forgive other people when they wounded me. Colossians 3:13 says "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one other. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Once again, this is not something I learned to do and then got past it. This is an ongoing practice that must be well exercised in my life to keep me from growing roots of bitterness and from developing an attitude that just wants to write people off. Did you notice the emphasis in the verse? "Forgive as the Lord forgave you." We are given the ability to forgive others out of the gratitude in our hearts for the forgiveness we have received from God for our own mistakes.

If you have a difficult time forgiving yourself or receiving God's forgiveness, you'll have a difficult time forgiving others, because you cannot give to others what you do not have in yourself to give.

Let me conclude by emphasizing that I don't have any of this down pat and I struggle regularly with wanting to watch some videos from these two dangerous files from my past that I have mentioned. But with God' grace and our obedience, you and I can continue shining the light of Jesus brighter every day when we make these three decisions the norm in our spiritual journey.