[I] will remember their sins no more.
—Hebrews 8:12
In Throw Out Fifty Things, author Gail Blanke gives some “Rules of Disengagement” to clear the clutter from life. The first one is: “If it weighs you down, clogs you up, or just plain makes you feel bad about yourself, throw it out, let it go, move on.”
Is there a spiritual application for that rule? Yes. Don’t stay shackled by past sin. If you remain captive of the grief and guilt of previous wrongs, you’ve missed the message of God’s forgiveness.
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed [your] transgressions from [you]” (Ps 103:12); “If [you] confess [your] sins, he . . . will forgive [your] sins” (1 Jn 1:9).
You insult God’s mercy if you keep reliving your mess-ups. Get rid of the clutter once and for all.
Don’t let your past define your future.