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Putting Your Past in Its Place: Moving Forward in Freedom and Forgiveness
Lives grind to a halt when people don’t know how to relate to their past. Some believe “the past is nothing” and attempt to suppress the brokenness again and again. Others miss out on renewal and change by making the past more important than their present and future. Neither approach moves people toward healing or hope. Pastor and biblical counselor Stephen Viars introduces a third way to view one’s personal history―by exploring the role of the past as God intended. Using Scripture to lead readers forward, Viars provides practical measures to This motivating, compassionate resource is for anyone ready to review and release the past so that God can transform their behaviors, relationships, and their ability to hope in a future.
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
154 people are currently reading
574 people want to read
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May 11, 2024
One of the best Christian counseling books I’ve read. It speaks truth but reasonably and compassionately.
February 28, 2017
I've been working through this book with my counselor at church for a few months now, and this has been such a great tool in working through my past. I was able to learn how to process many trials and traumatic events, not just mentally and emotionally as I have before, but biblically. I could face such events instead of avoiding and living in fear and anxiety, and learned how to let go and to begin the process of forgiving. It's still going to take some work, but I feel that this book really helped in learning to get through some tough times while preparing me for any future suffering. I also loved the questions at the end of each chapter, which would sometimes push me more than I expected but truly helped in growing.
April 12, 2023
This book has given me valuable insight into how to process past experiences/failures. I’ve never thought about approaching the past in such a methodical way. The author laid out four “buckets” to sort a cluttered life, and gave real-life examples of how he’s used this tool in counseling.
January 14, 2021
A good guide for working through past events AND for using as a reference to actively and Biblically respond well to future events.
"Confession at the deepest levels is necessary before we can begin to heal and grow. You cannot enjoy the living water Jesus offers until you acknowledge the presence of broken cisterns."
"Confession at the deepest levels is necessary before we can begin to heal and grow. You cannot enjoy the living water Jesus offers until you acknowledge the presence of broken cisterns."
February 15, 2024
Wow!!!! This was such a great and helpful book for me. Pastor Steve Viars practically helps you "empty the buckets" of your past. 4 buckets that cause us to get stuck where we are and not move forward in freedom and forgiveness (pictured in the comments.
At the beginning of the book we meet "Jill". A married woman with children who is stuck in depression. She mentions how she "had been to numerous counselors of all stripes over the years from as early as third grade. She had been evaluated by various physicians, and no biological cause of her problems had ever been discovered. She reported that her depression seemed to be more severe during the winter months. She even spoke about times when she struggled with suicidal thoughts. On her intake form she wrote, 'I want this to be my last time going to a counselor. After we are through, I want to be able to handle my struggles without falling apart. I want to see them for what they really are and make them go away.'" We follow her story throughout the book as she learns how to empty her buckets and live a life of joy.
If you have a past, if you have had something wrong done to you or done by you, if you responded right or wrong in that area, if you feel stuck, this book is for you.
At the beginning of the book we meet "Jill". A married woman with children who is stuck in depression. She mentions how she "had been to numerous counselors of all stripes over the years from as early as third grade. She had been evaluated by various physicians, and no biological cause of her problems had ever been discovered. She reported that her depression seemed to be more severe during the winter months. She even spoke about times when she struggled with suicidal thoughts. On her intake form she wrote, 'I want this to be my last time going to a counselor. After we are through, I want to be able to handle my struggles without falling apart. I want to see them for what they really are and make them go away.'" We follow her story throughout the book as she learns how to empty her buckets and live a life of joy.
If you have a past, if you have had something wrong done to you or done by you, if you responded right or wrong in that area, if you feel stuck, this book is for you.
July 9, 2025
The author describes how we fill our buckets with our past. One bucket contains when we are sinned against or suffer innocently and respond well. Another bucket is when we are sinned against and respond poorly. A third bucket is when we sin and respond well. The fourth is when we sin and respond poorly. We need to empty these buckets of our past properly. The author uses people from Scripture, examples from his years of counseling, and Biblical truth to encourage us to put our past behind us.
October 26, 2023
I feel conflicted with the way I rate this book. First half/ 140ish pages were hard to read. Mostly did not really like the style of writing. Spent a lot of time addressing why the past should be dealt with, or emotions should be felt. It felt a bit elementary and useful only for baby Christian’s, and just wasn’t very useful. The rest of the book analyzed “4 buckets” that we can fall into based on trials or past. Basically we’re you in sin or not, and how did you respond. Ie when you respond well and what it looks like through biblical stories, or when they did not. That chart is very helpful, and breaking it down redeemed the book in my eyes. Loved those aspects.
For example it talked about david when he sinned with Bethesda he reacted to his own sin with more sin ie murder, when Peter sinned in Denying Christ, he repented and moved on, etc.
So in short, was a slow start, but I can see why it’s included in a biblical counselors accredited reading list.
For example it talked about david when he sinned with Bethesda he reacted to his own sin with more sin ie murder, when Peter sinned in Denying Christ, he repented and moved on, etc.
So in short, was a slow start, but I can see why it’s included in a biblical counselors accredited reading list.
October 20, 2020
Book club #2 October choice
Straightforward, Biblical, scriptures given, testimony included
above expectations!
Sec. 1: The Power of the Past
1. Can you hear the Wheels spinning? 2. Your past can be one of your worst enemies
p. 21 “Truth comes to the mind and to the understanding enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Then having seen the truth the Christian loves it. It moves his heart. If you see the truth about yourself as a slave of sin you will hate yourself. Then as you see the glorious truth about the love of Christ, you will want it, you will desire it. So the heart is engaged. Truly to see the truth means that you are moved by it and that you love it. You cannot help it. If you see the truth clearly, you must feel it. Then that in turn leads to this, that your greatest desire will be to practice it and to love it. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
p. 34 God is the friend of the honest doubter who dares to talk to God rather than about him. Prayer that includes an element of questioning God may be a means of increasing one’s faith. Expressing doubts and crying out about unfair situations in the universe who one’s trust in God and one’s confidence that God should and does have an answer to humanity’s insoluble problems.
Dealt with past: Paul, Naomi, Zacchaeus, Onesimus
p. 36 “time” heals all wounds is one of the most inane statements ever made.
p. 26 Freud based his entire counseling system on the past.
3 As your friend: 47 “your past is like a silent companion that accompanies you wherever you go. The goal is not to focus on it but who God is and what He has done
David drew strength and courage from former victories from his God. Job had a ready list of what God had blessed him in the past. It’s the discipline of thanksgiving! It gives us peace. Phil. 4:7 Also relates to forgiveness and our willingness, remembering how much God has forgiven us. Deal with PRIDE – remember our sins and how God has forgiven them. Review where you have been spiritually – be motivated and turn around. Nothing about your past has to be feared, ignored or excused if you are IN Christ.
4 Learn to put your past in it’s place organizing your past (bucket numbers are in caps)
INNOCENT GUILTY
WELL Sinned against but responded well #1 Sinned but handled it quickly (Peter) #3
POORLY Sinned against but responded poorly #2 Sinned and responded poorly (worst) #4
(David and Bathsheba)
Examples: #1 – Joseph, #2 – Naomi, #3 Peter #4 David (read Ps. 38 and 51 for help)
Sec. 2: Dealing with the hurts of the Innocent Past
5. Bad things happen to good people…another look What if God’s word is not given the position of authority it deserves?
Rabbi Kushner’s book and Ps. 92 wrong theology-says sometimes God cannot arrange things such as Job’s life. Viars: we need to choose to view the troubling events of the past through the lens of God’s word. (Note” Kushner wrote the book after his special needs child died at age 12 while Viars has a special needs child at age 17 still living and they enjoy every day with him without drudgery.)
6. Authentic suffering: reaching into bucket #1 Full disclosure – followers of Christ will suffer!
The innocent past when you responded well require: authentic suffering. Scriptures Psalm 73 and 2 Corinthians 1
1-face it honestly, (acknowledge the confusion and hurt, love God enough to cry out to Him, ask others to help) 2-face it Biblically (106 it is faith in our good and sovereign God that enables us to wait until the morning. But we must never forget that often the night is long and the weeping uncontrollable.) (Suffering is not always the direct result of sin in one’s life. i.e. Job), (108 If God were fair, we would die as soon as we were conceived.! The Gospel is more about the coming of Christ’s kingdom than our individual enjoyment.) Puritan pastor Richard Baxter taught that “suffering so unbolts the door of the heart, that the Word has easier entrance.” 3- face it hopefully, 110 The God of heaven and earth stands ready to give us all the strength we need to handle suffering in a way that honors Him. There is nothing about your situation God does not know. 111 Affliction offers us the opportunity to carefully evaluate our desires. Are they self-centered or God-centered? Under trial is God’s glory your chief concern? Are you longing to be drawn closer to Him? Do you eagerly seek ways to bless your persecutor? When we look at suffering through the lens of Scripture, we can experience great hope because even the longest trial on earth if brief compared to eternity.4- face it missionally (you can serve as a channel of God’s comfort to others who were afflicted.) Suffering prepares us to love others who are hurting.
Case studies: people who have lost loved ones and babies before or at birth
7. Authentic suffering and the sustaining Gospel
Your bucket is empty when you can say that you have processed your innocent suffering in a biblical manner.
The goal of this book is to equip me to face future trials in a way that keeps the bucket empty. This cht.: help me plan to respond to future suffering in a way that draws me closer to Jesus.,,
132 .“God did not give us His G just so we could embrace it and be converted. He offers it to us every day as a gift that keeps on giving to us everything we need for life and godliness. The wise bel learns this truth early and becomes proficient in extracting available benefits from the G each day. By being absorbed in it, speaking it to ourselves and reckon it true in all we do. 132
134 Thank God for His provision that we do not have to suffer alone One of the benefits of trials is that they make us realize we are in a position where there is very little we can do to help ourselves. But we can look to the cross. And we can recognize that because of our position, sin no longer has dominion over us and we do not have to respond in a sinful way.
136 1 way Jesus extends His sympathy as our Great High Priest is by praying for us. “We little know what we owe to our Savior’s prayers.”Eph. 1:15-21, 2 Timothy 4:8, 1 Peter 5:10, John 14:3, Heb.4:14-16, Romans 6:4-5, 2 Cor. 12:10
(author’s wife’s mom has cared for a quadriplegic daughter for many years with grace and love)
8. Humble Analysis: Reaching into Bucket 2
The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis abolition: SYNONYMS FOR ABOLITION: eradication, elimination; nullification, invalidation, revocation, repeal.
145 Someone mistreated us and we responded in a sinful way. We have sometimes been so focused on the hurt caused by others’ misdeeds that we have never taken the time to address our unbiblical responses. In a culture that promotes the abolition of man through abandonment of moral truth, God’s children can take that ground back in part by acknowledging the truth about their pasts. Doing so requires humble analysis. Ask yourself these 6 questions: 1. Did you return evil for evil? Romans 12:17-20 2.Did you develop bitterness toward God? (Ex. Naomi in the book of Ruth) 3. Did you develop an unbiblical view of people? Mt. 22:37-404. Have you developed an unbiblical view of yourself? (Evaluate statements said about us in light of what God says about us.) Rom. 12:3 5. Should you confront the person who sinned against you, and if so, have you done it? (Mt. 18:15 confrontation is biblical) 6. If you confronted the person who sinned against you and he asked forgiveness, have you granted it? Luke 17:3-4, Luke 23:34
9: The Joy of Forgiveness
“I ask you to forgive my sin of want, desire, lust, envy, jealousy, greed, pride and contemptuousness of others…..” People do not confess their sin to God.
“I know the other person won’t forgive me, so why should I bother talking to her? “i 1. We do not know for certain what the other person will do. 2. We are responsible to do what God wants us to do regardless of the choices other people make. We must do everything in our power to allow them to forgive us.
172 It is amazing to think that ordinary men and women can truly have fellowship with the God of heaven and earth….
1 John 2:1-2 , 1 John 1:3-4, 1 John 1:9* p. 173 Those who confess their sin to God and others regularly have an empty bucket …
Sec. 3, Handling the Guilty Past 10 – Joyful Remembrance: Reaching into Bucket #3
181 How should I respond when I keep remembering my failures (or do not feel forgiven)? Joyful remembrance: your eyes should not be on yourself and your sin but on the marvelous character of God. God loves to forgive his children. Jer. 33:8-9 Jesus focused on forgiveness even while dying on the cross. God promises to forgive us as soon as we come to Him. Micah 7:18 The Lord’s Supper is a picture of this. Mt. 26:27-28 Don’t rehearse your failures in your mind. Train your mind to thoughts pleasing to Him.
2 Cor. 7:9-10 diff. betw. Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow (sorry only because you can’t enjoy that sin again.)
11: The Person of our Joy
206 Believing that Christ is the Living Water and that you can find abundant joy in Him should serve as your primary motivation for handling your past biblically. You empty your buckets so you can have a richer, fuller, more intimate rel. w/ your Savior.
Joy for those who have suffered: 1 the joy of seeing Jesus answer your prayers, 2 the joy of seeing the HS develop His fruit in you
3 – the joy of experiencing spiritual victory Ps. 20:5, 32:11, 33:1
210 Joy for those who have sinned: 1 – the joy of learning God’s word, 2 – the joy of solving problems 3 – the joy of practicing genuine worship, Ps. 43:4 “The great joy that is available in Christ should motivate us to handle whatever unfinished business in the past is hindering the full development of our rel w/Him.“
12: Honest Self-Confrontation: Reaching into Bucket 4 (story of David and Bathsheba and his steps)
Failure followed by failure. But…. The Coach wants you on His team!!! John 15:16 Sin begins by not controlling your desires. Take every thought captive. 1 Peter 1:13-16, 2 Cor. 10:5. Do not complicate matters by acting on the wrong thoughts and desires of your heart. The pleasure of sin is brief compared to it’s results. Some believe they can get away with it but the God of heaven always has His last say. Unconfessed guilt: Ps. 38 and 51. Getting out: Ps. 32: 1 – 7.
Hamartiology – doctrine of sin Pneumatology (doctrine of the Holy Spirit) soteriology – doctrine of salvation
Progressive sanctification – doctrine of Christian growth
243 Depression narrows your focus.
Straightforward, Biblical, scriptures given, testimony included
above expectations!
Sec. 1: The Power of the Past
1. Can you hear the Wheels spinning? 2. Your past can be one of your worst enemies
p. 21 “Truth comes to the mind and to the understanding enlightened by the Holy Spirit. Then having seen the truth the Christian loves it. It moves his heart. If you see the truth about yourself as a slave of sin you will hate yourself. Then as you see the glorious truth about the love of Christ, you will want it, you will desire it. So the heart is engaged. Truly to see the truth means that you are moved by it and that you love it. You cannot help it. If you see the truth clearly, you must feel it. Then that in turn leads to this, that your greatest desire will be to practice it and to love it. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
p. 34 God is the friend of the honest doubter who dares to talk to God rather than about him. Prayer that includes an element of questioning God may be a means of increasing one’s faith. Expressing doubts and crying out about unfair situations in the universe who one’s trust in God and one’s confidence that God should and does have an answer to humanity’s insoluble problems.
Dealt with past: Paul, Naomi, Zacchaeus, Onesimus
p. 36 “time” heals all wounds is one of the most inane statements ever made.
p. 26 Freud based his entire counseling system on the past.
3 As your friend: 47 “your past is like a silent companion that accompanies you wherever you go. The goal is not to focus on it but who God is and what He has done
David drew strength and courage from former victories from his God. Job had a ready list of what God had blessed him in the past. It’s the discipline of thanksgiving! It gives us peace. Phil. 4:7 Also relates to forgiveness and our willingness, remembering how much God has forgiven us. Deal with PRIDE – remember our sins and how God has forgiven them. Review where you have been spiritually – be motivated and turn around. Nothing about your past has to be feared, ignored or excused if you are IN Christ.
4 Learn to put your past in it’s place organizing your past (bucket numbers are in caps)
INNOCENT GUILTY
WELL Sinned against but responded well #1 Sinned but handled it quickly (Peter) #3
POORLY Sinned against but responded poorly #2 Sinned and responded poorly (worst) #4
(David and Bathsheba)
Examples: #1 – Joseph, #2 – Naomi, #3 Peter #4 David (read Ps. 38 and 51 for help)
Sec. 2: Dealing with the hurts of the Innocent Past
5. Bad things happen to good people…another look What if God’s word is not given the position of authority it deserves?
Rabbi Kushner’s book and Ps. 92 wrong theology-says sometimes God cannot arrange things such as Job’s life. Viars: we need to choose to view the troubling events of the past through the lens of God’s word. (Note” Kushner wrote the book after his special needs child died at age 12 while Viars has a special needs child at age 17 still living and they enjoy every day with him without drudgery.)
6. Authentic suffering: reaching into bucket #1 Full disclosure – followers of Christ will suffer!
The innocent past when you responded well require: authentic suffering. Scriptures Psalm 73 and 2 Corinthians 1
1-face it honestly, (acknowledge the confusion and hurt, love God enough to cry out to Him, ask others to help) 2-face it Biblically (106 it is faith in our good and sovereign God that enables us to wait until the morning. But we must never forget that often the night is long and the weeping uncontrollable.) (Suffering is not always the direct result of sin in one’s life. i.e. Job), (108 If God were fair, we would die as soon as we were conceived.! The Gospel is more about the coming of Christ’s kingdom than our individual enjoyment.) Puritan pastor Richard Baxter taught that “suffering so unbolts the door of the heart, that the Word has easier entrance.” 3- face it hopefully, 110 The God of heaven and earth stands ready to give us all the strength we need to handle suffering in a way that honors Him. There is nothing about your situation God does not know. 111 Affliction offers us the opportunity to carefully evaluate our desires. Are they self-centered or God-centered? Under trial is God’s glory your chief concern? Are you longing to be drawn closer to Him? Do you eagerly seek ways to bless your persecutor? When we look at suffering through the lens of Scripture, we can experience great hope because even the longest trial on earth if brief compared to eternity.4- face it missionally (you can serve as a channel of God’s comfort to others who were afflicted.) Suffering prepares us to love others who are hurting.
Case studies: people who have lost loved ones and babies before or at birth
7. Authentic suffering and the sustaining Gospel
Your bucket is empty when you can say that you have processed your innocent suffering in a biblical manner.
The goal of this book is to equip me to face future trials in a way that keeps the bucket empty. This cht.: help me plan to respond to future suffering in a way that draws me closer to Jesus.,,
132 .“God did not give us His G just so we could embrace it and be converted. He offers it to us every day as a gift that keeps on giving to us everything we need for life and godliness. The wise bel learns this truth early and becomes proficient in extracting available benefits from the G each day. By being absorbed in it, speaking it to ourselves and reckon it true in all we do. 132
134 Thank God for His provision that we do not have to suffer alone One of the benefits of trials is that they make us realize we are in a position where there is very little we can do to help ourselves. But we can look to the cross. And we can recognize that because of our position, sin no longer has dominion over us and we do not have to respond in a sinful way.
136 1 way Jesus extends His sympathy as our Great High Priest is by praying for us. “We little know what we owe to our Savior’s prayers.”Eph. 1:15-21, 2 Timothy 4:8, 1 Peter 5:10, John 14:3, Heb.4:14-16, Romans 6:4-5, 2 Cor. 12:10
(author’s wife’s mom has cared for a quadriplegic daughter for many years with grace and love)
8. Humble Analysis: Reaching into Bucket 2
The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis abolition: SYNONYMS FOR ABOLITION: eradication, elimination; nullification, invalidation, revocation, repeal.
145 Someone mistreated us and we responded in a sinful way. We have sometimes been so focused on the hurt caused by others’ misdeeds that we have never taken the time to address our unbiblical responses. In a culture that promotes the abolition of man through abandonment of moral truth, God’s children can take that ground back in part by acknowledging the truth about their pasts. Doing so requires humble analysis. Ask yourself these 6 questions: 1. Did you return evil for evil? Romans 12:17-20 2.Did you develop bitterness toward God? (Ex. Naomi in the book of Ruth) 3. Did you develop an unbiblical view of people? Mt. 22:37-404. Have you developed an unbiblical view of yourself? (Evaluate statements said about us in light of what God says about us.) Rom. 12:3 5. Should you confront the person who sinned against you, and if so, have you done it? (Mt. 18:15 confrontation is biblical) 6. If you confronted the person who sinned against you and he asked forgiveness, have you granted it? Luke 17:3-4, Luke 23:34
9: The Joy of Forgiveness
“I ask you to forgive my sin of want, desire, lust, envy, jealousy, greed, pride and contemptuousness of others…..” People do not confess their sin to God.
“I know the other person won’t forgive me, so why should I bother talking to her? “i 1. We do not know for certain what the other person will do. 2. We are responsible to do what God wants us to do regardless of the choices other people make. We must do everything in our power to allow them to forgive us.
172 It is amazing to think that ordinary men and women can truly have fellowship with the God of heaven and earth….
1 John 2:1-2 , 1 John 1:3-4, 1 John 1:9* p. 173 Those who confess their sin to God and others regularly have an empty bucket …
Sec. 3, Handling the Guilty Past 10 – Joyful Remembrance: Reaching into Bucket #3
181 How should I respond when I keep remembering my failures (or do not feel forgiven)? Joyful remembrance: your eyes should not be on yourself and your sin but on the marvelous character of God. God loves to forgive his children. Jer. 33:8-9 Jesus focused on forgiveness even while dying on the cross. God promises to forgive us as soon as we come to Him. Micah 7:18 The Lord’s Supper is a picture of this. Mt. 26:27-28 Don’t rehearse your failures in your mind. Train your mind to thoughts pleasing to Him.
2 Cor. 7:9-10 diff. betw. Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow (sorry only because you can’t enjoy that sin again.)
11: The Person of our Joy
206 Believing that Christ is the Living Water and that you can find abundant joy in Him should serve as your primary motivation for handling your past biblically. You empty your buckets so you can have a richer, fuller, more intimate rel. w/ your Savior.
Joy for those who have suffered: 1 the joy of seeing Jesus answer your prayers, 2 the joy of seeing the HS develop His fruit in you
3 – the joy of experiencing spiritual victory Ps. 20:5, 32:11, 33:1
210 Joy for those who have sinned: 1 – the joy of learning God’s word, 2 – the joy of solving problems 3 – the joy of practicing genuine worship, Ps. 43:4 “The great joy that is available in Christ should motivate us to handle whatever unfinished business in the past is hindering the full development of our rel w/Him.“
12: Honest Self-Confrontation: Reaching into Bucket 4 (story of David and Bathsheba and his steps)
Failure followed by failure. But…. The Coach wants you on His team!!! John 15:16 Sin begins by not controlling your desires. Take every thought captive. 1 Peter 1:13-16, 2 Cor. 10:5. Do not complicate matters by acting on the wrong thoughts and desires of your heart. The pleasure of sin is brief compared to it’s results. Some believe they can get away with it but the God of heaven always has His last say. Unconfessed guilt: Ps. 38 and 51. Getting out: Ps. 32: 1 – 7.
Hamartiology – doctrine of sin Pneumatology (doctrine of the Holy Spirit) soteriology – doctrine of salvation
Progressive sanctification – doctrine of Christian growth
243 Depression narrows your focus.
August 6, 2025
This book was exactly what I needed to read and I will probably read it once or twice more.
August 26, 2016
Dr. Steve Viars (D.Min, Westminster) is the senior pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Lafayette, Indiana. His new book, Putting your Past in its Place, is a fruit of his long counseling ministry, and his commitment to helping people from the Word of God.
The thesis of the book is that our manner of handling our problems in the present can be influenced by our past; therefore we need to ensure that we have dealt with the past biblically. His goal in the book is to help believers in Christ work through their problems in ways that are pleasing to God.
Viars begins by building a properly balanced perspective: the past is not everything, we can rise above what has happened to us; neither is the past inconsequential, it can be a collection of unfinished business that hinders moving forward.
Illustrating his points with a combination of biblical teaching and fascinating case studies, Viars shows the reader that past events can be placed into four basic categories:
1. What happened was not our fault, and we responded properly.
2. What happened was not our fault, but we responded sinfully.
3. What happened was our fault, but we responded and dealt with it properly.
4. What happened was our fault, and we responded sinfully.
The reader is encouraged to place events from the past into the appropriate "bucket." Viars then teaches how each bucket can be properly "emptied," with the result that the past becomes our friend, and not our enemy.
Viars is not a "take two bible verses and call me in the morning" kind of counselor. His treatment of these issues reveals both keen perception into human behavior and a nuanced approach to dealing with it. Viars' style is warm, down-to-earth, and engaging. His writing is suffused with compassion and understanding. Extending the book's usefulness, each chapter ends with both study group and individual questions.
I highly recommend this book to two audiences: those who are wrestling with a difficult past will find it supremely helpful. Pastors, counselors, and anyone engaged in helping others will find in this book a very complete resource for assisting believers to grow in Christ. I know I will be using it in my own counseling.
The thesis of the book is that our manner of handling our problems in the present can be influenced by our past; therefore we need to ensure that we have dealt with the past biblically. His goal in the book is to help believers in Christ work through their problems in ways that are pleasing to God.
Viars begins by building a properly balanced perspective: the past is not everything, we can rise above what has happened to us; neither is the past inconsequential, it can be a collection of unfinished business that hinders moving forward.
Illustrating his points with a combination of biblical teaching and fascinating case studies, Viars shows the reader that past events can be placed into four basic categories:
1. What happened was not our fault, and we responded properly.
2. What happened was not our fault, but we responded sinfully.
3. What happened was our fault, but we responded and dealt with it properly.
4. What happened was our fault, and we responded sinfully.
The reader is encouraged to place events from the past into the appropriate "bucket." Viars then teaches how each bucket can be properly "emptied," with the result that the past becomes our friend, and not our enemy.
Viars is not a "take two bible verses and call me in the morning" kind of counselor. His treatment of these issues reveals both keen perception into human behavior and a nuanced approach to dealing with it. Viars' style is warm, down-to-earth, and engaging. His writing is suffused with compassion and understanding. Extending the book's usefulness, each chapter ends with both study group and individual questions.
I highly recommend this book to two audiences: those who are wrestling with a difficult past will find it supremely helpful. Pastors, counselors, and anyone engaged in helping others will find in this book a very complete resource for assisting believers to grow in Christ. I know I will be using it in my own counseling.
July 16, 2022
This is a great resource for those struggling to put their past to rest. It's also a great read for anyone who wants to be ready to help those who have difficult pasts, or want to really be sure they've handled their past well. I would suggest a few things for those who want to read this book.
-Read it while working with someone else. You're going to need help working through this book. Whether it's a counselor, a trusted friend, or your spouse - you will need someone to help you do the heavy emotional lifting this book calls for. Someone who can encourage you, hold you accountable, and help you suss out the things you aren't sure of.
-I would suggest reading this book straight through once, and then going back and working through each bucket at an incredibly slow and intentional pace. I suggest this because it's easier to take steps when you know where you're going. If you know what you are working up to it might be easier to take those first few steps. This will also help you to determine which of the four "buckets" are the fullest for you, and thus where to expect to put a lot of energy.
-Depending on what things have occurred in your past, it might be most helpful to read this in tandem with another book. I say this because Viars walks you through evaluating responses to sin, but because it's a general book designed to reach many people, which is great, it's not going to help you with the nitty gritty of your particular situation. It's not going to teach you how to trust God or overcome addictions. However, as you begin to identify and address your specific heart idols and sin habits Putting Your Past in Its Place will help you figure out what to do with what you've learned.
-Read it while working with someone else. You're going to need help working through this book. Whether it's a counselor, a trusted friend, or your spouse - you will need someone to help you do the heavy emotional lifting this book calls for. Someone who can encourage you, hold you accountable, and help you suss out the things you aren't sure of.
-I would suggest reading this book straight through once, and then going back and working through each bucket at an incredibly slow and intentional pace. I suggest this because it's easier to take steps when you know where you're going. If you know what you are working up to it might be easier to take those first few steps. This will also help you to determine which of the four "buckets" are the fullest for you, and thus where to expect to put a lot of energy.
-Depending on what things have occurred in your past, it might be most helpful to read this in tandem with another book. I say this because Viars walks you through evaluating responses to sin, but because it's a general book designed to reach many people, which is great, it's not going to help you with the nitty gritty of your particular situation. It's not going to teach you how to trust God or overcome addictions. However, as you begin to identify and address your specific heart idols and sin habits Putting Your Past in Its Place will help you figure out what to do with what you've learned.
April 17, 2024
This was the perfect book for me to continue working on my past. I loved how it was biblically based, and it showed the importance of the past in our lives, but also putting it all in the correct perspective. I have gone through therapy and worked on the majority of things, but learning to put things in the correct basket has really helped me. I highly recommend this book.
January 10, 2015
helpful resource. especially liked the categories of suffering, sin and response. I think he sums the human experience up well and the biblical remedies for each type of experience
June 25, 2022
I found this book really helpful and challenging. I really likes his concept of the “buckets” and putting labels on past events. The four buckets were
1. You were sinned against but acted righteously
2. You were sinned against but acted un-righteously
3. You sinned against someone but acted righteously
4. You sinned against someone but acted un-righteously
Each of these four buckets is important to dealing with items in your past. In the case of bucket one, it is important to go to the person who sinned against you and try to bring them to righteousness. If you were sinned against but acted un-righteously, you should go to the person that sinned against you and call them to righteousness and also confess to them that you didn’t handle it righteously. If you did the sinning, then you need to confess it to those that you have hurt but your sin.
I have already utilized this book in person application. I have met with one of my siblings who kept coming to mind while reading this book that I needed to confess some sin to. He was extremely gracious with me and accepted my apology and I have already seen our relationship strengthen and grow.
For ministry, I would really like to take my small group thru this book. A couple of them really struggle with their past and I hear about past wives almost every week. Some of them have so much guilt and shame over their past that I think this would be very helpful for them.
If you have a past (and if you have been alive for more than 1 second then you have a past), you need to read this book. This book could be very difficult for you to read but that will be good for your soul and will help with reconciliation for people in your past that have sinned against you and that you have sinned against.
1. You were sinned against but acted righteously
2. You were sinned against but acted un-righteously
3. You sinned against someone but acted righteously
4. You sinned against someone but acted un-righteously
Each of these four buckets is important to dealing with items in your past. In the case of bucket one, it is important to go to the person who sinned against you and try to bring them to righteousness. If you were sinned against but acted un-righteously, you should go to the person that sinned against you and call them to righteousness and also confess to them that you didn’t handle it righteously. If you did the sinning, then you need to confess it to those that you have hurt but your sin.
I have already utilized this book in person application. I have met with one of my siblings who kept coming to mind while reading this book that I needed to confess some sin to. He was extremely gracious with me and accepted my apology and I have already seen our relationship strengthen and grow.
For ministry, I would really like to take my small group thru this book. A couple of them really struggle with their past and I hear about past wives almost every week. Some of them have so much guilt and shame over their past that I think this would be very helpful for them.
If you have a past (and if you have been alive for more than 1 second then you have a past), you need to read this book. This book could be very difficult for you to read but that will be good for your soul and will help with reconciliation for people in your past that have sinned against you and that you have sinned against.
February 26, 2022
Disclaimer: I am biased. Viars' friend Kellemen, who writes the preface, is also a friend of mine; and Viars pastors the church where the seminary I attended is housed.
But I hope my bias accounts for no more than maybe half a star. All the rest of the stars are earned.
While Putting Your Pas in Its Place tackles such a broad subject (your whole past and every struggle you may have because of it!), I found that to be a strength rather than a weakness. Really, as Kellemen says in the introduction, this is Viars' Magnum Opus, the collection of his experiences and reflections as a biblical counselor for many, many years, presented very clearly and very well. In some ways, this book is applicable to almost every counseling case about almost every issue.
What is more, this book is helpful both for individuals trying to deal with their own past, and for counselors and friends trying to help others do the same. I did not have a traumatic upbringing that I am trying to work through, but I found the book a help for myself and for my ministry to others. Viars' division of our past into "innocent" and "guilty past" buckets, and his further subdivision of our good and bad responses to those pasts which then form a new part of our pasts, was helpful. His goal in this book is to help us empty out all those buckets and ways appropriate to each.
So, read this book. You do not need my bias to enjoy it. By God's grace, the principles it contains have given and continue to give God's people the freedom to which they were called.
But I hope my bias accounts for no more than maybe half a star. All the rest of the stars are earned.
While Putting Your Pas in Its Place tackles such a broad subject (your whole past and every struggle you may have because of it!), I found that to be a strength rather than a weakness. Really, as Kellemen says in the introduction, this is Viars' Magnum Opus, the collection of his experiences and reflections as a biblical counselor for many, many years, presented very clearly and very well. In some ways, this book is applicable to almost every counseling case about almost every issue.
What is more, this book is helpful both for individuals trying to deal with their own past, and for counselors and friends trying to help others do the same. I did not have a traumatic upbringing that I am trying to work through, but I found the book a help for myself and for my ministry to others. Viars' division of our past into "innocent" and "guilty past" buckets, and his further subdivision of our good and bad responses to those pasts which then form a new part of our pasts, was helpful. His goal in this book is to help us empty out all those buckets and ways appropriate to each.
So, read this book. You do not need my bias to enjoy it. By God's grace, the principles it contains have given and continue to give God's people the freedom to which they were called.
January 26, 2023
This morning I finished reading "Putting Your Past in Its Place: Moving Forward in Freedom and Forgiveness" by Stephen Viars. The title pretty well sums up the book and Pastor Viars does a good job unpacking the theme and pointing us forward in a biblical way. The first part of the book lays a foundation for how the past can be an enemy but can also be a helpful friend, He develops the meat of the book with a discussion on how we respond to when we find ourselves in four categories: (1) When we've been sinned against and we were innocent and we responded biblically, (2) when we have been sinned against and we were innocent and didn't respond well - how can we now move forward? (3) when we were guilty but responded in repentance, and (4) when we were guilty and initially responded sinfully - how can we move into repentance?
The book recognizes that our hurts inflicted on us may be deep and and that forgiveness does not mean that we ignore the hurt, or that there may be other consequences, but it leads us to respond as we should as believers in Christ. It's replete with solid biblical references and many personal examples. You might want to check it out!
The book recognizes that our hurts inflicted on us may be deep and and that forgiveness does not mean that we ignore the hurt, or that there may be other consequences, but it leads us to respond as we should as believers in Christ. It's replete with solid biblical references and many personal examples. You might want to check it out!
May 14, 2021
At first glance, this book seems to be just another self-help book, another counseling book. I only read it because a friend of mine was working through a course on counseling and it helped her to talk through some of the things she was learning.
I was so pleased to find, first, this was a solid Bible study. Everything in the book is grounded on the Word of God. If you are a Christian with messy people in your life that you truly want to help, and that would be basically every Christian, this is a solid place to start. I love the idea of finding a person in the Bible who's story is similar to mine to help me figure out how to move forward in a godly way. But, secondly, this has a sound organization to help work through the different traumas of the past with his idea of four buckets based on two simple questions. (Read the book to find out what they are and how to "empty" the buckets.)
I highly recommend it to every Christian, for yourself and for all the messy people in your life.
I was so pleased to find, first, this was a solid Bible study. Everything in the book is grounded on the Word of God. If you are a Christian with messy people in your life that you truly want to help, and that would be basically every Christian, this is a solid place to start. I love the idea of finding a person in the Bible who's story is similar to mine to help me figure out how to move forward in a godly way. But, secondly, this has a sound organization to help work through the different traumas of the past with his idea of four buckets based on two simple questions. (Read the book to find out what they are and how to "empty" the buckets.)
I highly recommend it to every Christian, for yourself and for all the messy people in your life.
October 26, 2019
A helpful book for those struggling with "Moving Forward In Freedom and Forgiveness."
Those who suffer from the discouragement and depression of their pasts, this book offers a perspective about the past that can be helpful. He puts the struggle in the context of four "Buckets" so that people can deal with their pasts with understanding and move forward from the past:
1) The innocent past when you responded well
2) The innocent past when you responded poorly
3) The guilty past when you responded well
4) The guilty past when you responded poorly
With each of these Viars provides a perspective that enable a person to see past situations correctly, and then deal with each properly and finally in Christ. These are each handled biblically and with sensitivity.
Those who suffer from the discouragement and depression of their pasts, this book offers a perspective about the past that can be helpful. He puts the struggle in the context of four "Buckets" so that people can deal with their pasts with understanding and move forward from the past:
1) The innocent past when you responded well
2) The innocent past when you responded poorly
3) The guilty past when you responded well
4) The guilty past when you responded poorly
With each of these Viars provides a perspective that enable a person to see past situations correctly, and then deal with each properly and finally in Christ. These are each handled biblically and with sensitivity.
May 4, 2019
I’ve been struggling with my past for several years but this year this struggle got really deep. My girlfriend recommended this book from. Celebration Recovery library and I started to reading it.
I loved the way author separate everyone’s past in for bucks and pick examples from Bible and his experience as counselor, and then shows how, based on Bible, Is possible to change your mind about the way you see the past to a way much better.
This book helped me to deal better with my past and gave me a direction to put, with God’s help, to put my past in its right place: it is not everything nor anything, it is a good place where you can take lessons and move forward.
I loved the way author separate everyone’s past in for bucks and pick examples from Bible and his experience as counselor, and then shows how, based on Bible, Is possible to change your mind about the way you see the past to a way much better.
This book helped me to deal better with my past and gave me a direction to put, with God’s help, to put my past in its right place: it is not everything nor anything, it is a good place where you can take lessons and move forward.
January 20, 2022
This book is okay. It is outdated and the advice in this book is painted with a broad stroke. He treats all those who struggle with abuse, depression, and anxiety as all the same. He puts them all in the same group and thinks they all struggle the same way. He also has all the answers but does not know what it is like struggle with these issues. He acts like if he gives you these answers then you should be fine and get over your issues. He seems more like one of Jobs's friends. It would have been better for him to sit with those hurting and weep with them than to write this book.
October 3, 2017
Dr. Steve Viars contributes a wonderfully compiled biblical theology of the past. Many consider the past to be determinative of the future, while others consider the past to have no affect on them at all. Dr. Viars flushes these two ideas down the drain and proposes a third alternative: the biblical view. Picking up this book helps you put on your biblical prescription eyeglasses and marvel at how you can put your past in its place.
July 3, 2022
This book is so helpful! It is organized and clear, while also providing scripture and biblical principles. It obviously can’t address every single thing a person can experience or struggle with, but gives biblical principles with how to deal with suffering and sin from a very compassionate perspective. Would highly recommend to anyone that has had a difficult past, is currently going through hard times, or anyone walking alongside someone going through hard times.
October 24, 2023
Another excellent book from the counseling track. This would also be a good book to read through slowly or read with a group.
“The Bible gives us several ways our pasts can be among our best friends. Of course your past is not an ‘it.’ It is not a separate entity. But it is a record, in part, of the way God has related to you and worked in your life. The goal is not to focus on ‘it’ but on who God is and what He has done.” pg. 48
“The Bible gives us several ways our pasts can be among our best friends. Of course your past is not an ‘it.’ It is not a separate entity. But it is a record, in part, of the way God has related to you and worked in your life. The goal is not to focus on ‘it’ but on who God is and what He has done.” pg. 48
August 5, 2025
For those interested in biblical counseling, this book helps give categories for sorting issues and working through them in a way that glorifies the Lord. It was so helpful to have the illustrations of how this was actively being worked out in different peoples' lives included. I appreciated that this was not a dry academic tome but engaging and able to be applied as we all sin and are sinned against!
April 28, 2018
This is a book regarding your past. 2 of them regard the way your responded when you were innocent of an offense. The other 2 are in regard to your response when it was your fault. The past can be helpful IF you responded in the correct way. The book tells what to do if you did not respond in the correct way.
January 27, 2023
Excellent book and very simple in its premise. Viars encourages us to look at our past in four basic categories, which he supports with Scripture and provides ample practical examples for. Really enjoyed reading this and would gladly hand this to someone struggling with issues from their past.
January 27, 2023
Helpful on the topic presented. Pretty useful as a counseling manual with many examples and case studies. Although it falls short in a few spots, I still recommend it to counselors and those struggling to deal with the past.
May 16, 2023
An excellent book. The author is highly qualified and uses his expertise to help the reader to “ empty buckets “ that is to forgive others and to forgive oneself in order to unchain yourself from past. Worth a second read.
September 14, 2023
excellent read
This book will help you do exactly what the title says, if you are willing to adhere to the truths the author explains, which means to know that God is faithful now and forever.
This book will help you do exactly what the title says, if you are willing to adhere to the truths the author explains, which means to know that God is faithful now and forever.
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