We love to carry around old, dusty bags filled with hurts and wounds from past relationships that can hinder and squelch a new, vibrant healthy relationship. So deal with the past and get over it. Do not hold your partner or friend responsible for someone else's mistakes. Remember it is bitter roots that defile. Hebrews 12:14-15 speaks of bitter roots that can spring up in our relationships, if we refuse to deal with the hurts of our past.
Learn to forgive and forget. The truth is you have failed many times and so has the other people in your life. They are not perfect and you are not either. They often say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, and respond the wrong way. And sometimes, so do we.
We botch things up in our selfishness and pride, we react in the wrong manner and fail to say the right thing. We must strive to maintain the love of Christ with the spirit of forgiveness. When we hold grudges, everyone gets hurt and no one benefits. No one wins!
Therefore, we must endeavor to forgive and forget the bad, the ugly, the wrong and start a new habit of thinking on the good report, the positive, the lovely, and the best of times. Let us pause and learn to cherish and respect our marriage and our other relationships with honor and trustworthiness. Drop the baggage and do not pick it up again.
