Pastor Stephen Viars is a biblical counselor who has served for more than 20 years at Faith Baptist Church and Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries in Lafayette, Indiana. He has his DMin in biblical counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary, but don't let his credentials sway you. Throughout this highly practical and insightful text, Viars speaks both plainly and simply. As a pastor and counselor, his desire to mend people's lives, hearts and souls reads clearly on every page as does his passion for equipping Christians to learn how to put their past into its place.

Writes Viars, "Many of us believe either ‘our past is nothing' and suppress the brokenness we've experienced, or we believe ‘our past is everything' and allow it to control our present and future. Neither approach moves us toward healing or hope." Instead, Viars offers a third approach to viewing the past from God's larger, more scoping perspective. He explains how Christians should indeed remember their past, which is contrary to teaching in some churches, citing how valuable it is to accurately remember what happened, as Paul did, to make him a stronger and more Christ-centered man. How we remember is key, as is how we respond to our suffering.

Viars shares the vivid contrast between how Naomi viewed her suffering after losing her husband and two sons to death. She even told the women to call her "bitter," and her life evidenced this attitude for quite a while. Unlike Joseph, who was sold into slavery, falsely accused, and then sat forgotten in jail yet continued to look to God as his powerful deliverer. When God did change Joseph's circumstances for his good, he became the man God could use His way, even when confronted with his enemies, his own brothers who were the first to make him suffer. As Viars notes, how we think and remember our past does impact how we live and think and interact with God and others today.

Readers will value the various real life examples inserted throughout this resource. Especially powerful is "Jill's" story, which she shares in bits and pieces as Viars counsels her using the principles he explains in this book. Christ followers will gain specific tools to implement as Viars gives instructions on understanding the power of a person's past; dealing with the hurts of the innocent past; and handling the guilty past. He uses a "bucket" system to offer visual and concrete understanding on how a person's past choices (both good and bad) serve to impact him today. Readers will be called to look introspectively as they rehearse their past via four basic modes: authentic suffering, humble analysis, joyful remembrance, and honest self-confrontation.

Powerfully written, Viars hits the mark with every point he makes in this excellent resource, which is sure to become an instrument of hope, healing and encouragement to anyone who dares to remember.