Bringing Back Past Yuckies...

I just had someone say something really hurtful to me. Initially, I felt angry, but I knew this was a great opportunity to go deep with God.

Unfortunately, in life, people say critical things or damaging words. Remember your words have power.

However, when we have the mind of Christ we always have a choice of what we are going to do with those words.

Will you choose to repeat the words over and over? Perhaps you will call every friend to tell them of the hurtful comments (this is what I used to do). Will you choose to visualize the conversation in your head and hear the person saying the critical statements repetitively? Will you punish yourself by thinking you deserve the negativity?

Or will you choose to process the situation with God? God is the best counselor and listener ever.

So, I immediately went to God and asked him to help me unpack why I felt so angry about the statements made. Remember when you are defensive there is often an underlying issue or core belief that God wants to give you freedom from.

I realized that the negative comment hit an old belief that I had that I was unlovable. This, of course, is nonsense from the enemy. My Heavenly Father loves me more than I can comprehend.

Anyway, back to my situation. I then asked God if we needed to pray through this or if had already been taken care of. God let me know that this belief was done. I had freedom from it and no longer believed it, but this negative comment had brought a spark to this dead thought pattern.

Therefore, it is my choice to choose to believe and agree with what the person said or to simply tell the thought to leave in the name of Jesus.

I choose to forget it. That means I will not acknowledge the comment by repeating the story to friends; I will not say anything to the person who was hurtful to "teach them a lesson;" nor will I repeat the statement in my head.

In the name of Jesus, I command this yucky gobbledegook comment to leave my brain forever.

Praise be to God!

Self Pity - Binds You to the Past

As hard as it is to admit, we all had "pity parties" about different things. For me, it was often about the daily migraines I used to have. 

Self-pity is a tool of the enemy. By dwelling in a self-pitying mindset, I believed I would always have migraines and never get better. Does this sound like a truth from God or a message from the enemy? It is never God's will for us to be sick.

However, I will admit, I got something from having my pity parties. I would complain about the pain getting sympathy (mostly from my mom). In addition, I also had a legitimate reason to take naps after work, watch extra TV, or to skip social outings. Yet, truly I was miserable. I was stuck. I didn't know I could be well. I thought I deserved the headaches as punishment and that God was disappointed in me.

Self-pity is the glue that binds us to the past. Binding us to past: sicknesses/conditions, sins, failures, family issues/traumas, etc.

The past, then, creates your future. By living your future in your past you are not able to experience the present as God has it before you. 

Philippians 3:13-14 says, "Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

It is not God's will for us to focus on the past. He doesn't -- why should we? We have the mind of Christ. Let's agree with Him and run the race looking forward.

It is not God's will for you to be stuck. Stepping away from self-pity means a need to renew your mind. It may need to be renewed hourly. 

It is okay to find yourself feeling sadness about your current situation. Your Heavenly Father is very compassionate and wants to comfort you! 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 states, "3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." 

God wants to break the chains of the bondage that is keeping you stuck, sick, or out of commission. 

When you find yourself feeling sad - reach out to the best counselor in the universe - God! Ask Him what he wants you to know about you and about the situation you are in. Cry out to Him for comfort or relief. Don't give up!!

Just catch yourself. If you start to dwell in the sadness or hear yourself complaining to someone about the situation - you might be falling into self-pity. No problem. Stop and take 5 minutes with God. Ask for forgiveness and then ask for guidance on how to proceed with the next step. 

[Not sure how to hear God when you pray? Try being still before Him.]

Self-pity ties us to the past. Let's break those chains! Allow God to provide freedom and hope.