Have you ever felt like God can’t handle you or your mistakes? Do you get frustrated that you keep having the same issues? Do you get so discouraged that things will never change? Well, I have to tell you that I have felt that way too many times. I was looking for a verse in Isaiah last week and the wind blew my pages to the verses I am about to share with you. (God wanted me to see these verses and maybe you need them too.) Isaiah 40:28-29  “He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

That means we have a God that doesn’t get tired of us. Most of us have people in our lives that we can only handle in small doses. Sometimes there are people that get on our last nerve and we need to pray like crazy when we are around them. But, no matter what we do or what we say, God does not feel that way about us. Sometimes that is hard to grasp!

Most of us have been hurt by someone in our lives. An unkind word—several unkind words—a messy break-up—abuse by someone you love—divorce—betrayal— the list goes on and on. All of these things can cause deep hurt and brokenness. When people hurt us, they cause our eyes to see things in a different light. The people who have hurt us, taint our heart and our belief system. We think differently about ourselves and others. If you allow that hurt to go unattended, it can cause bitterness, resentment, anger, despair, depression and anxiety. We allow the hurt to define us.

Just look around you. There are so many hurting people that you meet every single day—or live with—or work with—or go to school with. No one is exempt. People around you are either cursing you, blessing you, or judging you. Prov. 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” We have all been guilty of being in one of those categories at one time or another. John Eldredge explains what cursing and judging mean. “Cursing is done with purposeful intent; they are words spoken with malice, words spoken to bring harm. Judgments are far more common, but they are destructive too. Things like, “I hate you!’, “You won’t amount to anything!” are judgments. They are low-grade curses. They need to be taken seriously because they bring harm upon our lives, our health, our churches and ministries. The scripture takes them very seriously.”

When I read this, it made me think of all the cursing that was spoken to me as a child, teenager, and adult. I grew up listening to that crap most of my life. There were also many judgments that were said against me. When you are raised on that kind of talk, it is going to affect you. Deep wounds were made inside me from those words. They were lies that got rooted in my heart.

I know in my last post I mentioned renouncing and banishing the lies that I believed as a child. I have had to do that with the cursing and judgments that were spoken against me. Let me share a prayer that John Eldredge has in Moving Mountains. “In the name and by the blood of Jesus Christ, I break the power and hold of every curse and judgment that has come to me through words spoken against me. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, I am free. Thank you, Jesus, for setting me free. I order these curses and claims utterly disarmed and dismantled now, through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ, and in His name.”

I realize the my life has been a bit different than most reading this post. My life was on the extreme side of abuse. But, I also know that this is for anyone who has been bullied—anyone who has been in a relationship with someone who has been verbally abusive—anyone who is under a boss or co-worker who says horrible things—a classmate who makes you feel stupid. “Jesus was cursed in your place; Jesus was judged in your place. His blood and sacrifice cancel all other claims of judgment or cursing against you.” Eldredge

Because of Jesus, those words can’t have power over you. Let me add, that I know that I have been guilty of saying things I shouldn’t have said. We all have. We need to be able to point the finger at ourselves and see the things we have said or done and ask Jesus to forgive us. Freedom is our right as believers in Jesus Christ. He can and will set us free. If you struggle with saying things that aren’t edifying or good, ask for His help. Pray before you speak. If you mess up, ask for forgiveness, and move forward. Keep fighting the fight! Don’t ever give up!

Through all the pain and the hurts I have experienced, Jesus has met me where I have needed Him. I have opened my heart, my spirit and my soul to Him. I have allowed Him to see all the ugly and disgusting things that have happened to me and allowed Him to see all the ugly and disgusting things I think about myself. I just have to share what Eldredge says, “For the heart and soul of a human being is worth far more than all the beautiful places in the world. You are the prize He ransomed with His life. Jesus loves to partner with us in this most sacred place; He is most eager to come and make Himself known here.”

My sacred place is where my love story with Jesus is written. I have a chair in my bedroom where I have my quiet times and it is also where I write this blog most of the time. In nicer weather, I am outside. I consider that chair and wherever I journal or write, my sacred place. It is where I open myself up to Jesus. He has made Himself known to me in that place. He speaks to me there. He comforts me, loves me and teaches me in that place. I want you to know—without a shadow of a doubt—Jesus is alive and teaching and speaking and helping and forgiving all of us every single second of every day. The only way we are going to realize who He is and what He is doing, is to spend time with Him and listen to HIm.

There are two profound statements that I would like to share with you. “Oneness with God is the goal of our existence.” Eldredge and “Prayer is perfect and complete oneness with God” Oswald Chambers  Jesus spoke of oneness in John 17:20-23. He prayed, “That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they maybe brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

I am learning that Jesus wants more than a relationship with me. He wants union with me. He wants us to be one. “The destiny of the human soul is union with God. The same oneness that Jesus talked about with his Father is our destiny as well.” Eldredge

“Communion with God is the one need of the soul beyond all other need.” George MacDonald  I have found this to be true. When I am in complete union with God, He fills me with so much more than the world could ever offer me! I am complete in His presence. You know that famous saying from the movie Jerry McGuire, “You complete me.” That is how I feel about God.

“When you want to be healed from things that have happened in your life, pray for Jesus to come into the specific places that damaged you. Forgive the one who wounded you. Renounce the the message or the lie that you believed and break any agreement you have with it. Invite the presence and healing love of God there.” Eldredge

I have been practicing these steps the last few weeks and I can tell you that it works! I have invited Jesus into all the things that I can remember and gone through the process. Inviting Jesus into my soul, my heart, my wounds, my brokenness has given me relief! I have been carrying around so many burdens most of my life and Jesus has lifted them off my shoulders. I feel His healing love. I did not know this feeling of relief was possible. It has given me hope! But, the most important thing it has done is bring me closer to my Lord and Savior. 

Healing is a process. I know there are things I will still need to go through. But, my view has changed. I have a Savior who wants to be one with me. He is on my side. He is fighting for me and loving me every step of the way. Problems will never completely go away. People will say hurtful things. I still have a long way to go on my journey, but I will continue to put one foot in front of the other and ask the Lord to be with me every step of the way. I will continue to invite Him into my life and my healing. The most important thing is this….I have someone who I can go to. He is my world. He is my life. He is good. He ransomed His life for me. He thinks you and I are more important than anything else in this world.

I am going to leave you with some words by John Eldredge. Soak them in. “Wholeness is something we grow into as we walk with Jesus through the years of our lives. Knowing this actually takes a great deal of pressure off—that pressure to find the instant fix or have the One Defining Moment. It releases us to walk with God and allow Him to personalize our healing journey.”

Until next time….