ARE YOUR BELIEFS BRINGING YOUR LIFE FULLNESS OR DESTRUCTION?
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV)
Feeling empty and worn out from years of attempting to fix what I thought needed fixing in my marriage, and losing the battle, I reached the point of despair and wanted out. I questioned God’s love for me, for it seemed my prayers had fallen deaf on His ears.
Fear told me I was trapped and not going anywhere. Doubt told me I was insignificant and would never make it on my own or find the kind of love I longed for. Thus, depression and hopelessness set in my spirit, leaving me to believe there truly was no way out of my circumstance.
I cried out to God, “Where are You?! Don’t You care that I’m hurting?!”
God’s silence angered me. I grew bitter and blamed Him for my troubled marriage and the ongoing hurt I had been experiencing. I felt unworthy and fell into a pit of self-pity, struggling to put one foot in front of the other desperately needing guidance.
Suddenly, the whisper, “It’s not Me, this was your choice,” got my attention.
I wept, for I recalled the words from eleven years ago, “You’re going to get hurt,” while making my way to the altar in my little hometown church on my wedding day with both my parents at my side.
Realizing it was God’s voice that day that spoke what my heart tried to tell me while dating, I regretted not listening. I repented and asked the Lord for forgiveness. He revealed that attachments such as doubt, fear, worry, insecurity, and unworthiness keep us from Him and all that He wants to give. An awakening took place in my spirit that I had been under attack from the enemy. For as long as I could remember, I held tightly to attachments such as these, unaware of their destruction.
Upon my discovery, I surrendered my circumstance to the Lord, replaced hopelessness with hope, and turned my back on fear, despite the unknown.
Look at your circumstances. Are the attachments and beliefs you cling to bringing your life fullness or destruction?
Unfortunately, many of us are guilty of living life unaware of our value in Christ Jesus which leads to unfulfilled and often destructive lives. God’s Word tells us in John 10:10 (NIV), “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
I encourage you to ground yourself in truth, my friend, not lies. Stop clinging to what’s destroying you and live the abundant life God created for you. When the enemy knocks, turn to the Word of God and put your hope in Him, and believe, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,” as promised in John 10:10 (NIV)!
Sheila is the author of Growing Through the Storm. For more about developing a personal relationship with the Lord and becoming all you were created to be, visit http://www.sheilamalsam.com
Be blessed and be a blessing!