As God starts to transform you into the image of His son Jesus,
you will start to see things in your personality change and align more with the
word of God and not the person you once knew. People might start to
notice a change in you and how you handle situations. They might notice a
calmness that is now resting in your soul. This is the work of God
in your life, and know that He is making all the changes He needs for you to
fulfill the call He has on your life.
As Christians we are to be salt and light in the world. We
are to make people thirsty for God and reveal their brokenness and the way to
healing, through our words and actions.
I personally have always been one who believes the actions of
people over their words, as words are easy to believe, but action takes
effort. They do go hand in hand but the follow through is so very
important to me. When I see someone stepping out to right a wrong or make
a change in their lives, something inside of me changes for them. My
heart softens for the person who can align their words with their
actions. I will do anything I can to support a person who can stand
in the truth of their words and actions.
Not that long ago, I was the person who cut you out of their life
on mistake number one. I was the one who says, you have one shot, make it
a good one. And when you messed up, because you would mess up, I proved
myself right and moved along in life without you. I would allow you
the opportunity to show me who I assumed you were all along, and again, most
times, I was right.
I am thankful for the internal GPS system that God has given me,
GPS standing for God’s Protective Services. God has graced me with
an internal knowing about people. I get a sense about people and their
intentions and can see through the facade of their words and into the core of their
motives. I believe God gave this to me as a way to shield myself from
additional harm in my life.
As I have eluded in other writings I come from a pretty tough
background. My childhood was very abusive and I saw many things that I
would not wish on another human being in life. I have lived in fear for
most of my life and have craved security and stability. I have found
these things in very few people in life, but I am finding them all in God.
I was getting ready for work the other morning and the initials
GPS popped into my head, and then God’s Protective Services came right after
that. I thought isn’t that cool, and went about my day. This
has remained in my head for days now, and still has not gone away, to the point
I wrote it in my Bible tonight before my nightly reading.
I feel like God gives us all an internal knowing, a way to keep us
from fear and harm, and some of our knowing is stronger than
others. To me this was God’s way of saying, I know that you are not
in a great place right now, and I can’t change that or deliver you from it, but
I can protect you from having any more of it. I think that’s
why I have always had a feeling about people whether it is good or bad.
I don’t have many memories of my childhood, very few photographs,
and even less happy times that I can recall. I think this is my brains
way of shielding me from pain that I am not able to bare. God has
revealed things to me over the course of my adult life that have been very
difficult, but He has also walked me through each step.
Abuse can come in many forms, you can have physical, sexual,
mental and spiritual abuse, and unfortunately I have experienced them
all. I was placed in situations that were extremely unsafe for me
and have shaped me into the person I am today. I was watching Dr.
Phil one day, not a show that I watch often, but I remember he was talking to a
family about the abuse that their child was being exposed to and he made this
statement and it has stuck with me ever since.
He said, and I am paraphrasing, but he said, when a child comes
into this world they have a clean blackboard. There is nothing written on
their blackboard, they are fresh, and the people in their lives will write on
the wall of their blackboard, and that is what they identify themselves to be.
So when a child hears that they are loved, valued, wanted, desired,
cherished, appreciated, special, beautiful, smart and worthy all those words
are being written on the blackboard of their identity and they will grow to
accept and become those words. In a sense they will adopt those words as
who they are.
When a child grows up hearing you are stupid, ugly, I don’t love
you, I don’t want you, abandoned, neglected, hit, called fat, worthless or
unworthy, they adopt those words as who they are meant to be.
This was a very profound moment for me and a way for me to
understand one of the reasons why I have always felt less than in life.
The people who wrote on my blackboard didn’t write words to edify me they wrote
words that described them. They transferred the feelings they had
about themselves on to me.
I think this is why God tells us in Romans 12:14 Bless those
who persecute you (who are cruel in their attitude toward you); bless and do
not curse them. And in Romans 12:18 If possible, as far as it
depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Now, as a young child this is hard for us to understand, let alone
do, but as an adult we have decisions we can make. We can decide if we
are going to allow ourselves to take out our anger on others, or allow for God
to make amends for the wrong that has been done to us.
Romans 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way
open for (God’s) wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay
(requite) says the Lord.
God gives all of us an internal GPS (God’s Protective Service) to
protect us from harm and devastation or from being the one who brings harm and
devastation to another person. We decide whether we want to heed
the internal sensing or continue to walk in the ways we think are best for
us.
God protects all of His children, as we are the apples of His
eyes; we are the rhythm of His heart. He doesn’t want to see any of us
harmed, but if we don’t listen to the promptings from God He can’t shield us
from ourselves.
What is wonderful is that even if you have lived a life full of
horrible decisions, or like me had a bad start to life, and had their
blackboard filled with words that tore me apart, instead of building me up, we
have a savior that can wipe that blackboard clean.
We have Jesus. Jesus came to save us from any shame, sin,
doubt or fears that we had. He came so that we can flourish in the Grace,
Mercy and Love that He showed us on the Cross. Jesus took my sins
and yours and made them white as snow.
What this says to me, is that Jesus can take that blackboard, that
has words that describe your old life and wash them away with words that
describe who you are created to be. Jesus can wash those words away, not
only from your mind but from your soul and your heart. Jesus can take
everything that was broken and make it brand new.
If you take the GPS that God has given to you internally, and
combine that with the sacrifice that Jesus gave you on the Cross, there is
nothing that can hold you back from living a life that is full of abundance and
hope. Allow Jesus to wash away the despair and sadness from your
blackboard and let Him write a new story for you. One that is filled with
His Grace, Mercy, Love and Peace.
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