To read the other posts in this series click HERE.
These last few weeks we’ve talked a lot about not letting your past define who you are, but as I was spending time with the Lord wondering what to write next, the question remained, “Where do I even begin?”
How do we “start over” and shift from allowing ourselves to be defined by our past, to creating a new future, one filled with freedom, hope and confidence? When I asked the Lord, I heard Him remind me of a very simple verse,
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever.” John 3:16 (NLV)
When we wander through life, believing the lies the enemy tells us, we are lost. We were never meant to be lost, we are not created to be wanderers, our lives are worth so much more than that!
I know when you think about shifting your mindset and laying your mistakes and your painful experiences down at the cross, it feels scary. But that scariness is fear and fear is not from the Lord.
For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (tPt)
The enemy wants you to be afraid because he’s afraid of YOU!
He’s afraid because he knows the power your testimony has and the authority you’ve been given through Christ, that’s why he’s been lying to you for SO long!!!
I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy, because facing our past is usually the opposite of that, but what I want you to know is that it’s worth it.
You are worth it.
Discovering who you were created to be, is worth it!
You are a part of God’s family (Eph 2:19), and that’s something worth fighting for.
I can tell you from my personal experience that facing the things we try so hard to bury, can be painful. I’ve cried many many tears working through my junk, I’ve lost friends as I’ve overcome obstacles, I’ve been attacked in my dreams, and so much more. But each time I face something I get a little more victory. Each time I’m obedient to face an obstacle I gain a little more freedom.
And what I’ve learned from many years of cleansing is that each obstacle, no matter how big and scary it might seem, gets a little easier to tackle every time. Because as you move forward, as you put your trust in the Lord, that He knows what He’s doing, your confidence grows.
Each victory gains you more freedom, more confidence and more trust in Him.
It’s that confidence that allowed me to share part of my testimony with you on the first day of this series. In the moment the enemy was screaming at me not to write it and share it, and then fear welled up, but the Spirit within me was greater.
It seems scary to expose things we want to hide but when you put your confidence in the Holy Spirit, you take the power away from fear.
God is transforming each one of you into the Holy of Holies, His dwelling place, through the power of the Holy Spirit living in you!” Ephesians 3:22 (tPt)
You might be reading this thinking, “I feel fine right now, why would I want to dig up my past and work through it all, that just seems messy and painful. Why would I do that when everything is going okay for me?”
And that’s a very valid question. You might feel fine, but there’s so much more to life than just feeling “fine”. Fine is the state the enemy wants you to think is good and happy because as long as you’re just “fine” then you aren’t powerful and walking in the authority of God’s kingdom.
The definition of “fine” according to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary is “obsolete”. Obsolete means, “no longer in use or no longer useful“. I don’t know about you but I’m NOT okay with being in an “everything is fine” state! I don’t want my life to be obsolete and no longer of use, I want my life to be powerful, I want to tackle every fear, every issue in my past so I can be free and walking in my identity, walking in authority, because that sounds a whole lot better to me than being obsolete!
Here’s how the Lord already sees you,
He released His supernatural peace to you through the sacrifice of His own body as the sin-payment on your behalf so that you would dwell in His presence. And now there is nothing between you and Father God, for He sees you as holy, flawless, and restored.” Colossians 1:22 (tPt)
So why would you want to believe anything less?
Why would you want to still carry all your burdens around?
Why would you choose just “fine” when God has already given you so much more, you just have to believe it!
You have to trust it.
Which brings us right back to where we started, a simple verse we’ve all heard 1,000 times, we see it on bumper stickers, tattoos, etc. but do we really believe it?
Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever.” John 3:16 (NLV)
Where did the trust get broken?
When did you stop believing in the Lord’s promises?
I guarantee you the answer is somewhere back in that pile of stuff you buried and don’t want to look at. And that’s exactly why we must go back. The answers are back there.
When we choose to run from our pain and ignore it, we move away from God. The pain is back there but the answers are there too. God is not going to run away from your pain, He’s waiting for you in it. Your Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit – they are all there waiting for you.
Be strong and have strength of heart. Do not be afraid or shake with fear because of them. For the Lord your God is the One Who goes with you. He will be faithful to you. He will not leave you alone.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLV)
You are never alone, we are all in this together.
We have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds, each affirming faith’s reality. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall in to. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us. We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because His heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be His, He endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!” Hebrews 12:1-2
For those of you who are reading this and want freedom, but have no idea where to begin, I have compiled a list of resources that will help you. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me via the contact form on this blog, or by email. Click HERE to go to the Resource page.
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