Skeletons In Your Closet: Confronting Your Past

Have you ever heard that saying about the skeletons in your closet? "Don't talk about other people's problems because you have your very own skeletons in your closet!" That is the one I am talking about. I would say this often growing up when I would see people in church stick up their noses and think badly on the body of Christ because one of their brothers/sisters in Christ sinned. I would get angry with those people because I knew certain things about them that was far worse than anything they were judging about. I myself was not letting those people live in forgiveness, because I was not willing to forget what they had done. I wanted to hold their feet in the fire and keep it over their head so that when they felt like accusing, I could deliver justice... I just happened to disguise this feeling in my life with the phrase and would remind them at the opportune moment about their "skeletons in the closet."


The skeletons in your closet can take the form of anything that has happened in your past. Past relationships... past mistakes... past regrets.... anything. But what these all have in common is the word PAST.  These "skeletons" hide in the back of your brain and just when God starts taking you somewhere in your life and you begin to grow spiritually, you remember that your closet is full of these "skeletons" and that becomes a stronghold in your life. You blame everything on these skeletons.


Well I have news for you..... It's time to clean out the closet! Asking for forgiveness from Jesus Christ, who took the place of every sin that you committed and every skeleton that you have collected releases you from that stronghold. You don't have to live your life anymore with the remembrance of your sins, because Jesus took it instead. Every time that we admit that we sinned and ask for forgiveness, our closet is cleaned out. Jesus takes all the junk out, dusts, vacuum's, and even puts a new light in there. Because all things are new.

Let us not be so distracted by other people's sins that we can not forgive or forget what they have done. Let us lead them to Jesus so that they can continually get a "spring cleaning" in their closet and live the life that God has destined for them to live. Take the time today to think to your closet and allow Jesus to come inside and take the place of those skeletons, let God clean it out and restore it to its sinless state. Make your closet into a secret place where God would want to spend time with you, not be crowded by the sins that you refuse to let go. Let Him take you where you are meant to be...

Lord, thank you for this word that you have given us. I thank you that it is a timely word and that you are speaking to hearts and souls. I ask that you help every person reading this begin to clean out their closets. That they would be able to truly be forgiven from their past mistakes, regrets, failures... so that all is left is a secret place where you desire to spend time with them. Help us to not remind our brothers and sisters in Christ of their skeletons, but that we will truly begin to forgive and forget so that we will not be hindered from what you have for us.  Amen