Lessons I have learned in the last 6 months from Jesus:
1. Love God.
2. Love yourself.
3. Love others.
4. Grace saves.
5. Prayer Works.
6. Faith is the way to Jesus.
7. God is bigger than any problem, fear, sickness, anger, hurt, hunger, or pain.
Many of you would not have known this but 6 months ago I was a wreck. I was stuck in a job that I despised and I disliked myself and others. I was having creative blocks with my music, and was conviced that I was never again going to fall in love or move forward and on with my life. Now I know this sounds dramatic and I would never have admitted to feeling like this then, but I did. Enter Jesus.
Ya know how you look at other people, smiling and laughing, having a good time and think, "Why are they happy? What are they doing that I am not and why don't I have such joy?" This was me. I was stuck in a rut. I felt chained. Chained to the past, to an identity I didn't want or choose, and I was unable to think about the future and make plans because I wasn't excited or enthusiastic about much. The enemy had such strong footholds on my thoughts and feelings that all of the blessings that God wanted to give me were being squandered.
Now I say this with reserve because I did know God, and my life wasn't all bad. I knew that He existed and I believed in Him. My life had blessings. A job, positive friends, financial security, health, etc. However, I was limiting God. This is the "God in a box" mentality, where you pigeonhole something that you don't fully understand or want to be a part of. By doing this I was limiting Him and what He wanted to do in my life.
Many, including myself, put God in this protective layer in our lives where He fits neatly. However, as you release God and let Him work in every detail of your life you will find peace, security, and joy. I used to only turn to God in the big stuff and when times were really rough, but as I learn to let Him in to every detail He is faithful time and time again.
The last 6 months has been releasing God out of this box and allowing Him to come in and change every aspect of me. As I let go and let God, life becomes so much easier and enjoyable. I don't have to be responsible for having every answer, knowing and planning the future, or being perfect.
I heard these words at training camp and I want to share them with you.
"In Jesus, there is freedom."
I always thought that becoming religious, or spiritual, or whatever you want to call it was to put yourself in chains. No sex? No drinking? No partying? Sounds like a prison. Sounds like I can't do anything or have fun. This is the opposite of true. We ARE in a prison and God wants to release us from that. We all know what our individual prisons are. Mine was my job, lies of the enemy over my happiness, negative thinking, etc. The partying and other things weren't even my prison, they were just a symptom, and came from coping with my prison.
I don't even care about those things anymore. I feel so full that none of that even sounds appealing. Now this doesn't mean that I will never go out to a bar again or have a drink. It just means that I have freedom and when I do make mistakes, Jesus has covered my sin, and I can bring him with me everywhere I go! He is my protector, my love, my joy, my everything, and I know He has great things in store for my life as I let go and continue to release him out of His box.
Now this is all great stuff and conceptually it sounds great but how does it actually work?!?! I have asked God this question. Answer: Life is a process, healing a process, change a process. Be patient with yourself and others. Some things will move incredibly fast and change overnight. Other times change will come gently, like a clif with a wave crashing against it in the ocean.
God I pray for change. I pray that your peaceful hand would come and erode our hearts. God you are so full of love and love so freely. Teach us to love freely and openly and to walk like your Son; with the same love and kindness that He showed. I pray that whatever this change is that it would leave us full of peace and joy, and bring us closer to you than ever before. Amen.
(Next Blog will be the story of How God put over $2,000 in my support account in the last week!)
