We don’t always realize how much our history affects our present. We respond to how we’ve been treated. If we’ve been treated well, then we can be open and trusting. If we’ve been hurt, we don’t want to go through that again, so we put up walls. Trusting becomes difficult, if not impossible.

Unfortunately, that past also affects how we respond to God. If we never had a loving relationship with our father, we won’t be able to receive love from our heavenly Father. Those walls will only allow what we feel we can handle, which may not be very much at all. Even a bad divorce will affect our ability to be loved by anyone.

You don’t have to live like that. All the blessings of heaven are yours in Christ. But to truly receive them, you have to let go of the bad stuff. Forgive where you need to forgive. You have to do it. Then ask God to take it all away. Now ask God to release all His goodness in you. Receive His love. Receive His joy. Receive all that is yours.

You are a new creation in Christ. Let go of the old and enjoy all that Jesus has given.