If you could record all the thoughts and feelings inside yourself and play them back for me, what would I see and feel? Does your past follow you? Do you think about it a lot? Does the way you feel about things now stem from hurts from long ago?
Do you replay things that happen over and over in your head?
The business meeting was over, and I felt terrible about something. As I walked through the room God spoke to me. His message to me was something along the lines of, “Do you know what you are feeling right now? It has nothing to do with what just happened. It has to do with the past.”
WOW. The past that was controlling me was so very long ago. Looking back, it is hard to imagine how it penetrated every point of my life like it did. My mind was so consumed all the time with replays of conversations. My thoughts were constantly on what I had said and what others had said. I would wonder if I had said the right thing. Did they like me? Could I trust them?
The past served to hold me back in many ways. I was afraid to fail, but I was more afraid to succeed. I was afraid to really be myself, but I also was afraid not to be. I was afraid to care, but I wanted friends.
God set me on a journey to bring me into submission. Sweet surrender to depths never explored before taught me to trust Him. Trusting God with the temporal allowed me to walk by faith like never before. Walking by faith allowed God to reveal to me His plan for my life. God’s plan for my life taught me the depths of His forgiveness. His forgiveness took root deep into my heart, soul, and mind.
After all this, God gave me the gift of my first book. That gave me joy that He could still use even me. I gave my past to God to use. He gave me healing.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Philippians 4:7-9
I love God’s exchange rates. I got the better side of every exchange.
Christians are not guaranteed a cushy life. Paul certainly did not live one. But the best life you can live will be the one you have when you walk in the center of God’s will for you.
LIFE APPLICATION
Today’s challenge is to realize that salvation is just the beginning of what God has for you. Have you ever contemplated the cost of God’s best for you? The cost is simply this: surrendering, trusting, and walking in obedience by faith. As you consciously make each decision in favor of what God has for you, you will walk closer and closer to Him and His plan for your life.
May you find peace and joy along the way.