MANY times experiences of life condition people’s reactions. There was this lady who was into a relationship with a young man. This young man broke this lady’s heart.

This bitter experience made this lady to harden her heart towards any advances from the opposite sex. When a man approaches her, she will tell him straight away: “I do not fall over men anyhow. The only man I ever befriended slapped me three times and broke my heart. I hope you will not do such to me o! I fear men o!’’ This lady built a shell around herself, which made it difficult for her to relax and carry on with normal life.

I want to counsel here that when you are in a relationship, learn to forget about past wounds and disappointments. Do not drag old experiences to affect your new relationship negatively. This is what the Bible refers to as putting new wine in old wine skin. There must be a dislocation or destruction.

Learn wisdom from your previous experience, but do not allow negative experience to make you look at life in a negative way. Do not torment your partner with unnecessary information and do not harass your partner with negative vibration from the past.
Forget past wounds. The Bible says, forgetting those things, which are behind, press forward. Press forward to a brighter future. Males or females who speak and behave like the case narrated above hardly have healthy relationships. In fact, it frustrates the partner, and many pack it up. Help yourself. Forget past wounds

A man whose heart was broken in a previous relationship vowed never to give his heart totally to any woman again. When he eventually got married to one of the best women on earth, they could not enjoy the best of each other.
Learn from experience, but know where to draw the line. Know how to differentiate new wine from old wine.
Love you!

• Bishop Charles Ighele is the General Superintendent of Holy Spirit Mission, Lagos.