Antiquity: Healing the Past
“Why do you keep bringing up the past?”
My uncle, the only living relative I can talk to—but often prefer not to—asks me this question regularly. To him, those words represent something he desperately wants to forget. He buries his past deep, locking it away where it can’t touch him.
But in reality, it does touch him—it seeps into his anger, his misery, his silence.
Some long for the past, reminiscing about the good old days—days of youth and freedom. Others, like my uncle, live by a different motto: “It’s called the past for a reason. Leave it there.”
But disregarding the past doesn’t erase its impact. It shapes our present, influences our future, and demands our attention.
The Roots That Keep Growing
We move through life—jobs, relationships, routines—yet our past never stays put. Left unaddressed, it grows like creeping vines, tightening around us when we least expect it.
Pain doesn’t knock politely on the door, announcing itself. It surfaces in moments of crisis, in struggles we feel ill-equipped to handle. We push forward, attempting to ignore it, yet the weight remains—leading us into stress, frustration, and exhaustion.
Unchecked wounds from the past don’t stay in the past. They spread.
Fight, Flight, or Freeze
When life presses in, overwhelming us with struggles we can’t seem to escape, we fall into survival mode:
Fight—we lash out, resisting pain with anger.
Flight—we run, avoiding reflection at all costs.
Freeze—we feel trapped, paralyzed, stuck.
This cycle delays what we are truly called to do. We were never meant to live in constant reaction.
Moving Toward Healing
I pray the Lord allows you to objectively remember the past—not to dwell in it, but to allow Him to heal the parts that still ache.
Some memories belong in antiquity—not forgotten, but settled in their rightful place. When healing comes, those memories stop holding power over us. They no longer rot the present; instead, they serve as markers of transformation.
Consider forgiveness. Not just for others, but for yourself.
And prepare—because when God cleans up the past, an explosion of fresh anointing follows.
Reflection Questions
Are your feelings keeping you from forgiveness?
Are there areas in your life that feel stagnant?
As Les Brown wisely said:
“Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.”
The past may not disappear, but its hold on you can.