Leaving Things Behind
by Luci Boudreaux/Abuse Recovery
Scriptures: Philippians 3:12-17 and 2 Corinthians 5:17
Philippians 3:12-17 “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 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. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”
2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
From the time I was a young girl until the age of 25, when I surrendered my life to Jesus, I had established so many ungodly behavior patterns and unhealthy thinking, which lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms, that I was having difficulty becoming the woman of God I knew He wanted me to be. I knew I was delivered from eternal damnation but what about living an abundant life now?
I was unsure of and always second–guessing myself, very insecure and filled with painful memories which made me angry and frustrated. It affected my relationship with the Lord and others. I knew what the Bible taught me, that Jesus loves me and cast away my sins as far as the east is to the west, just as 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
I wanted to believe it to my very core, but I knew who I had been, the things I had done; my faith and hope were weak. The enemy was trying to steal my hope for a better life. I was fearful to step out and trust God in all the places of my life that needed to be dealt with before I could move forward.
But one thing was constant and strong in my heart. And that is, I wanted to be healed and whole in my inner being. I worked at it by spending time in God’s Word, in community with other believers, playing uplifting music, and listening to godly teachers who lived like they believed.
But I continued to struggle. I couldn’t understand why I was still stuck in this place and continuing to return to my old ways of thinking and doing. Does this resonate with any of you? You go to church, read God’s Word, listen to worship music, but it doesn’t seem to be moving your forward in your faith walk. Perhaps you are holding onto that one thing that is weighing you down.
At this point I sought out ministries and two specific women counselors that understood my broken past and what it felt like to have no self–worth. These women of God taught me to understand my position in Christ and that I was a new creation; I no longer needed to revisit my past for the sake of condemning myself. I learned how to recognize that the painful events of my past do not define me nor do they have to direct how I live my life for Jesus today. I learned that healthy boundaries are important and that I have the power to use these experiences to forgive, which allows me to heal and help others in their journey.
I am a very different woman today. I embrace the truth that I am a daughter of the Most High God, who doesn’t need to fear anything in both this world or the spiritual realm! I am a warrior, an ambassador, who God promises to equip for every situation in this life so that I may walk in victory and display His character.
Questions:
Are you allowing your past to hinder you from moving forward in your healing journey?
What is preventing you from embracing what God is calling you to?
How may we pray for you?
Additional Info to Share:
While we can’t erase our past, it’s important for us to allow God to use it to mature us in the present. We can’t know the details of our future so it’s futile for us to worry about it; we can only use the wisdom from God to plan our future and then submit the outcome to Him.
We can’t allow any breach in our spiritual armor.
As Paul said in Philippians 3, we haven’t “arrived,” but we are focused on moving forward, towards the goal of becoming more and more like Jesus. In view of this, I see every situation that comes into my life as an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to teach me how to demonstrate His ways. He allows it, so I submit to it, knowing it’s for His glory and my ultimate holiness.
God is doing a spiritually renewing work in each of us. And my desire is that we all draw closer to His heart. I’m learning to distinguish what things help and what don’t help.
One of the spiritually positive things in my life is spending time with like–minded believers who I can live out my faith with. It’s important for us to pay close attention and seek out those who walk in the way of Christ. Follow their example; you will become like those you spend the majority of your time with.
Use the issues we discuss in these conference calls to propel you into a better place; don’t settle anymore! We can experience the abundant life here and now! But It takes a lot of courage to change!
You are loved, and we are praying God will bring the healing you desire.
Questions to Consider:
- Are you allowing your past to hinder you from moving forward in your healing journey?
- What specifically is God calling you to let go of
- How may we pray for you?
We are here to help you in your journey. Please reach out if you need to talk. You can email me at: overcomer982@icloud.com.
Your friend,
Luci
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