Fear Feeds Fear

Have you ever noticed if you begin to focus on a fear or a worry, it seems to grow? Satan feeds our fears. We have a choice if we want to believe them or firmly put a stop to them. Where does God weigh in on the subject of fear?

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7

If you are feeling fearful, stop and breathe. Center yourself through prayer. Know that fear is NEVER from God. Rather God has given us power, love, calm, a well-balanced mind, and self-control. 

Spend some time with God and ask Him what you are truly afraid of. Then, ask God to show you what he wants you to know about these fears. [Not sure if you know how to hear God's voice? Click here].

Fear does nothing good and seems to lead me away from God. God is always telling me to trust. If I get stuck thinking about a fear/worry over and over again, God's peace seems further away. But, this is not the way it has to be. I have found what works for me to stop whatever I am doing and spend just a few minutes centering in on God and releasing the worry to Him. I actually visualize myself handing him the problem and just dropping it into His capable hands. 

Then I, literally, hold out my right hand and imagine taking hold of His. "For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13. It is true, God is here to be our ever-present help, the great counselor, and loving father. I repeat to myself, "Do NOT fear." For I feel, this is a command of peace from God. He encourages me to let Him handle the worry and to rest in His peace. 

If the fear comes back, I hold it captive and repeat the process above. With stubborn fears, you may have to do this several times. Also, I feel worrying is a bad habit. Therefore, with any habit there will be a learning curve as you break through the pattern and then it is finally gone.

Mindsets -- "I HAVE TO exercise today" or "I GET TO exercise today" - which do you embrace?

Many will say, "I HAVE to exercise" or "I SHOULD exercise."
This approach is a guilt-based mindset. It can lead to exercise, but never to the true joy God meant for us to feel when we exercise.

What if one was to shift away from looking at exercise as a MUST (condemning) and see it rather as a GET TO (joyful, free). Therefore, what about shifting into saying, "Today I get to exercise!"

Applying this mindset shift can be for people who: do not exercise; feel they are in a rut and do the same type of exercise frequently -- feeling bored; and those exercise a lot, but do not feel true joy (exercising out of a sense of duty or routine).

Okay, now how do you change your mindset about exercise?

1. Think about what you used to love to play or do when you were about 10 years old. What types of active activities did you love?
2. Now take one (or more) and think of how to apply them into adult exercise opportunities. For instance, I used to love dancing around in my living room when I was 10. I began by doing low impact dancing (Jazzercise), Aqua Zumba (dancing in the water) and worked my way up to a high intensity dance class (BodyJam).
3. Pray about it. Are you fearful? Do you wonder if you can even do 5 minutes of sustained exercise because you do not feel good or have not exercised recently? Why not just do 5 minutes of exercise? When I first started at Jazzercise, I would go for the first song or two and then leave. That was all I could do. There are many places that are very encouraging and will support you wherever you are at. Look at if from God's perspective -- there is no condemnation in Christ. He is certainly not upset with you. Remember He has never had a bad thought about you and you are His most important. Trust Him to lead you in the journey. Perhaps you are fearful of others seeing you when exercising? Pray and ask God for peace. I find gyms quite accepting of all types. I belong to several right now and do not feel any judgment coming from others. However, you may choose to exercise on your own. Maybe you are able to be self-motivated using a walking app or using a DVD at home to guide you to exercise.
4. As you begin some sort of exercise that reflects your childhood interests, ask yourself, "Am I feeling true joy in your heart as I exercise?" If you are, this is where God wants you to be. If you are not in true joy, then try a different area of interest. Keep trying until you find the one that makes your heart happy!
5. Finally, I just want to speak to the idea that some of us are social exercisers. That means, we love to visit and socialize - exercise becomes a fun way to make friends and interact with others. If you are this type of person (I am), but you feel lost about what type of class would be the best to begin with - please email me. I can help you.

Exercise is God's natural high. To relieve stress, to relax you, to help you feel peace - exercise is a great, great strategy. Also, you will feel more powerful in Christ as you get stronger and improve your endurance!! Happy exercising!

Stuck in Sadness? Stuck in Sickness?

Are you feeling stuck? Do you feel sick or stuck in pattern of sadness/anxiety? Are you stuck in a job or feel like your relationship is stuck?
God wants to release you into a sense of true freedom. Staying stuck is not his destiny for you at all.
How to get unstuck:
1. Spend some time being still with God to ask Him what He wants you to know about your life. (Not sure how to hear God's voice - click here). How does He see you? (Not sure who you are in Christ? Click here and here).
2. Actively choose to agree with these things God reveals to you. This means you will have to throw away the brain trash of condemnation because God has never had a bad thought about you. Try replacing the negative with a truth God has revealed. For instance, "Oh that was so stupid. I'm so dumb." Instead, grab those words and throw them out the door and say, "I have the mind of Christ. I made a mistake and now I have learned how to do that differently next time."
3. Reach out for help. If you are sick and stuck - I would like you to email me or look at visiting your local prayer center. It is never God's will for us to be sick.
4. Listen to and sing worship music. Praising God is a powerful tool and weapon. Oftentimes chains will fall off simply from freely worshipping God. What if you do not have access worship? Please go at any time of the day to IHOP's live streaming. This is such an amazing place and you really will be blessed simply from listening and praising God through livestream. Or check out Wind and Fire at praise/equipping times 7 AM and PM and 8 AM and PM daily.

In my next blog entry, I will post about exercise. Feeling we cannot exercise is a huge stronghold the enemy holds over us - which actually makes us more sick/sad.

Condemnation vs. Conviction

I just read an excellent article by Dr. Henry Wright of the Be in Health Institute. It was so good explaining the difference between condemnation of the enemy and conviction of the Holy Spirit. I have decided to share the article with you in full here:

Many times we feel like there are areas in our lives we need to change. However, we need to be careful to distinguish between the prompting of the Holy Spirit and the voice of the enemy. Is it conviction or condemnation?

Condemnation screams in our ears and makes us feel terrible and afraid. Conviction is a soft, sweet voice that makes us feel good about the changes we want to make to line up with the Word of God.

 

Condemnation is similar to conviction in that it always contains an element of truth. We can discern which one is speaking by asking ourselves several questions:

1.) How does it make us feel? Condemnation will leave us feeling guilty and ashamed. Conviction will fill us with hope and a sense of renewal.

2.) What's the pathway? Condemnation will leave us feeling hopeless and confused about what to do. Conviction will point us in a clear direction of change.

3.) Where's the problem? Condemnation says the problem is actually us - and our identity - to bring us to a conclusion that we can never change. Conviction will declare that the issue is not us and will help us overcome.

4.) What's the resolution? Condemnation will place all the blame on us and drive us into trying to fix everything ourselves. Conviction puts the blame on the enemy and depends on God to help us make the changes we need in order to overcome.

Condemnation is straight from the enemy. It feeds into his plan to keep us from the truth, so we're scattered and confused. When God is leading us to change something, He does it gently and clearly. If we recognize we have been listening to condemnation, we must put the blame back on the enemy where it belongs and take our peace. When we're ready to be changed in an area of our life, God will lead us into overcoming!

Romans 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

  

Reference: I am Changed newsletter article; Feb. 2, 2015; Dr. Henry Wright 

Releasing Emotional Issues Quickly

This past fall at Wind and Fire Mission Base, I learned a truly remarkable way to release a strong emotion, memory, mindset, and/or pain.

This strategy combines brain research and freedom prayer - it is extremely effective, fast, and powerful. I absolutely love it and use it daily.

There is a part of the brain called the amygdala. The amygdala processes emotions such as fear, anger, and pleasure. The amygdala is also responsible for determining what memories are stored and where the memories are stored in the brain. This part of our brain thinks that memories are actually going on currently even though they have already occurred. As a result, one might be in a fight or flight mode releasing chemicals into that body that are not needed because one is not in an emergency situation, but the amygdala thinks the memory is in real time. This strategy is fabulous because the tapping actually interrupts the brain signals being sent out. When the signals are interrupted the body is able to suddenly understand "Oh, I am not in a crisis? I do not need to be sending out emergency chemicals??" Then, one is able to come in with freedom prayer and let it all go in the name of Jesus.
This concept is important to understand because we often have strong reactions or huge defensive reactions to things that should really be only a minor blip in our emotional world. Why does this happen? It triggers the core memory and the amygdala - so the body is reliving the emotional trauma or the past even though the current event is minor.

In the freedom prayer world, it can often take multiple sessions to release one area. Through this prayer strategy, which I will call "tapping" for lack of a better name, emotions and strong memories can be released permanently within minutes.

I am going to outline the strategy in this blog entry. Please keep in mind, this is how I am doing it. There is no "right" way.
--
To begin, find an issue you are always defensive about or perhaps a trauma in your life (can also be used on specific pain or illnesses). It is best to have someone pray with you through these issues using this technique the first few times, but once you have a handle on it, it is absolutely a strategy you can do independently with God.

For this example, I am going to outline how to do the prayer strategy independently:

Let's say you feel you are unable to do math well in your life overall. When you consult God to try to figure out the core memory, you remember how in 7th grade a teacher had you stand in front of the class and told everyone you were stupid and horrible at math.

Tapping Prayer Strategy - this is a simplified cycle that I use exclusively now, there is a longer cycle I might outline in a later blog entry.

1. First quiet yourself. Take a few deep breaths. Say aloud, "Body, mind and spirit - line up with the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus. My voice be silent and any other voice that is not of God be silent now in the name of Jesus."
2. Your tapping pattern will be above the eyebrow, side of the eye, below the eye, and chest. Begin by tapping above eyebrow saying something to escalate the feelings associated with your bad memory of math in 7th grade. For instance, "In 7th grade I was humiliated in math class." Repeat and tap on side of eye. Repeat and tap below eye while saying something similar and then tap on chest and repeat again.
3. Continue to escalate the feelings. Imagine yourself there. What were you feeling? What was it like? What mindsets were formed that day?  Maybe something like "I felt so dumb." As you tap you can even change into the present "I am dumb. I am so stupid in math." Continue the tapping pattern and going with the emotions or mindsets as you go. Allow yourself to flow in it.
4. Once the feelings associated with the memory/mindset are really strong, you are ready to let them go. So, something like, "I am going to let go of the humiliation." (keep tapping in your cycle and repeating) "I am going to let go of all of the humiliation in the name of Jesus." Go through and repeat the cycle again as you release more.
5. Pay attention if you start yawning or if you had escalated your feelings really high (maybe to the point of crying and you suddenly stop crying) - at this point you are physically and spiritually releasing the strong feelings/memories/mindsets.
6. At this point, hold onto your wrist and take 3 deep breaths and speak "Peace" over yourself.
7. I usually, then imagine the memory and place myself back into the memory. How do I feel now? Do I feel any negative emotions? If I do, I continue. However, more often then not I almost have a flat affect about something that 10 minutes ago had me completely crying over.

I love this strategy to combat mindsets or word curses I had spoken over myself.  One final thing to mention, if you sense something that is not of God, tap the top of your head and command it to leave in the name of Jesus.

It is kind of hard to get the hang of this just by reading a post. Maybe soon I can make a video of it. Or if I know you personally, I would be absolutely delighted to go through a session with you.
I love this. It has really removed so much of the gobbledegook from my brain in a very powerful, tangible way. Thank you, Jesus, for wanting us to be free from all shame, condemnation, fear, and pain. I love you!

Take Risks, God's Got Your Back

God has really been teaching me recently to let go of fear-based mindsets. These mindsets or thoughts are NEVER from God and ALWAYS keep us from what God has for us.

Just take a moment and think about the things you have said or thought about that you could never do. What are they? What are the areas you feel completely afraid of in your life? What are circumstances, people, events you purposely avoid? Chances are this is actually an area where God really wants to move things for you and it is the old, yucky mindsets that are getting in the way of breaking truly free.

So, you have a choice. You can stay exactly where you are, doing the things you always do, being the same you have always been OR you can choose to challenge the fear and face it.

Begin by getting a notebook and a pen.
Now be still before God.
Ask God to show you areas in your life where you are allowing a fear mindset to rule.
Write down what God says to you or shows you.
Now ask God to give you strategies to move beyond the fear.

Take a risk. With the help of God you can move past ANY fear mindset. Your life is to be powerful, full of strength and glory - not fear keeping you from helping others know about God, isolating you, or keeping you stuck in a rut of self-pity. You are God's treasure and He has big plans for you - which definitely do not involve fear or anxiety. Step into a different path and breathe the air of freedom.

GOD HAS GOT YOUR BACK!

Girded by Truth

Last night I was reading Stormie Omartian's The 7-Day Prayer Warrior Experience. 

This free kindle book is quite excellent!

How often have I read something in the Bible and thought, "Well, I don't quite get that, but it sounds good." That is the way I have always felt about the Armor of God passage in Ephesians 6:10-18 [see whole passage at bottom of this entry].
I can certainly rattle off each piece of armor and have even pantomimed putting on armor (as Hank Hennegraff had suggested). However, I didn't really 'get' it.
Stormie, somehow, made it quite clear to me.
For instance, the first piece of armor is the Belt of Truth. I had always thought this just meant God's word, but Stormie describes it as simply God's truth which strengthens us at our core. The word 'core' really got me thinking about all of the exercises we do in Jazzercise to strengthen our core. Likewise, I can strengthen my inner spiritual core by knowing and agreeing with God's truth and promises. Wow! What an easy way of thinking about it. For some reason, this idea is so much more tangible to me. We know that the enemy tries to confuse us or get us off track by focusing on lies - this, in turn, causes anxiety or fear. Therefore, we must put on the first layer of our our armor by remembering who God says we are and what we are in Him.

Prayer: Dearest God, Help me to strengthen my inner core. Keep my focus on your truth and help me to hold every thought captive that is deceptive and not from you. Teach me how to experience your truth every moment of my day. Amen.

Ephesians 6:10-18New International Version (NIV)

The Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Agree With God - You'll Feel Better

What does God say about you? Do you really know? Are you stuck in sadness or, perhaps, anxiety thinking you are not living up to God's standards?

First, know and agree with the idea that - God has never had a bad thought about you!

Therefore, any gobbledegook in your head stating negative things is not from God and should be immediately rejected.

For instance, I began a new job with a different schedule and have noticed I have not been spending time each day reading the Bible. Unfortunately, I have heard some condemning statements cross my brain. Thankfully, I know and agree with Romans 8:1 which says, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

So, when I hear these statements, I immediately recognize they are lies. God has never had a bad thought about me. I am His treasure (as are you!)

It is important, instead, to agree with all the things we do know God says about us. Look below and find a couple of these statements and then choose to agree and meditate on them. THIS IS TRUTH. This is what God really thinks about you! You are His beloved, His child, His love!

• I am a child of God.

But to all who have received him--those who believe in his name--he has given the right to become God's children … (John 1:12).

• I am a branch of the true vine, and a conduit of Christ’s life.

I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me--and I in him--bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing (John 15:1, 5).

• I am a friend of Jesus.

I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father (John 15:15).

• I have been justified and redeemed.

But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24).

• My old self was crucified with Christ, and I am no longer a slave to sin.

We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin (Romans 6:6).

• I will not be condemned by God.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

• I have been set free from the law of sin and death.

For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).

• As a child of God, I am a fellow heir with Christ.

And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ)--if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him (Romans 8:17).

• I have been accepted by Christ.

Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God's glory (Romans 15:7).

• I have been called to be a saint.

… To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours (1 Corinthians 1:2). (See also Ephesians 1:1, Philippians 1:1, and Colossians 1:2.)

• In Christ Jesus, I have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.

He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption … (1 Corinthians 1:30).

• My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in me.

Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you (1 Corinthians 6:19)?

• I am joined to the Lord and am one spirit with Him.

But the one united with the Lord is one spirit with him (1 Corinthians 6:17).

• God leads me in the triumph and knowledge of Christ.

But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place (2 Corinthians 2:14).

• I am a new creature in Christ.

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away--look, what is new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)

• I have become the righteousness of God in Christ.

God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

• I have been made one with all who are in Christ Jesus.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female--for all of you are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

• I am no longer a slave, but a child and an heir.

So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son, then you are also an heir through God (Galatians 4:7).

• I have been set free in Christ.

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1).

• I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

• I am chosen, holy, and blameless before God.

For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love (Ephesians 1:4).

• I am redeemed and forgiven by the grace of Christ.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7).

• I have been predestined by God to obtain an inheritance.

In Christ we too have been claimed as God's own possession, since we were predestined according to the one purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will (Ephesians 1:11).

• I have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation)--when you believed in Christ--you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).

• Because of God’s mercy and love, I have been made alive with Christ.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you are saved Ephesians 2:4-5

• I am seated in the heavenly places with Christ.

… And he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus … (Ephesians 2:6).

• I am God’s workmanship created to produce good works.

For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them (Ephesians 2:10).

• I have been brought near to God by the blood of Christ.

But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).

• I have boldness and confident access to God through faith in Christ.

… In whom we have boldness and confident access to God because of Christ's faithfulness (Ephesians 3:12).

• My new self is righteous and holy.

… Put on the new man who has been created in God's image--in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth (Ephesians 4:24).

• I was formerly darkness, but now I am light in the Lord.

… For you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light (Ephesians 5:8).

• I am a citizen of heaven.

But our citizenship is in heaven--and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ … (Philippians 3:20).

• The peace of God guards my heart and mind.

And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

• God supplies all my needs.

And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

• I have been made complete in Christ.

… You have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority (Colossians 2:10).

• I have been raised up with Christ.

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1).

• Christ is my life, and I will be revealed with Him in glory.

When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him (Colossians 3:4).

• I have been chosen of God, and I am holy and beloved.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience … (Colossians 3:12).

• God loves me and has chosen me.

We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you … (1 Thessalonians 1:4).

The more we embrace these truths from Scripture about who we have become in Christ, the more stable, grateful, and fully assured we will be in this world.

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.