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!