As we end week #2, this is your challenge: To recognize that people aren’t God
Are you ready to strip the past, or people, of the power that they have taken in your thoughts? In your sense of self? In the way you view faith or life?
Will you allow your Savior to gently peel away the layers of hurt inflicted on your heart as you soak in Whose you are?
We find our true self as we realize:
- Your past or the people in it may have shaped you, but they do not define you or limit who you can be, with God’s help.
- The words spoke over your heart was most likely borne out of their own hurt, and we are not responsible to embrace them as truth.
- Their words cannot and do not compare with these:
Ps. 27:10: Although my father and my mother have forsaken me, yet the Lord will take me up—adopt me as His child. (AMP)
Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. (NLT)
Ps. 34:8: Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to Him. (MSG)
Ps. 36:7-8: How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
letting them drink from your river of delights. (NLT)How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of men take refuge and put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They relish and feast on the abundance of Your house; and You cause them to drink of the stream of Your pleasures. AMP
Romans 8:1: So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.” NLT
For the Spirit which you have now received is not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption—the Spirit producing sonship—in the bliss of which we cry, Abba Father! Father! AMP
Rm. 8:37-39:No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. NLT
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NIV
2 Cor. 6:1: And I will be your Father, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. NLT
And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. AMP
I am taking a prayer and writing sabbatical, but will be back here with you on Monday. Don’t read ahead. Let Chapter Two soak in. Ask your questions. Prayerfully let meditate on the scriptures from this week’s teaching. Journal.
Lord, thank you that people are not God. Like me, they make mistakes. Or perhaps they lost their way, or evil influenced their hearts. Today we turn from the influence of people or the past and we open our hearts to you. To everything you have for us. Every drop of healing. Every flood of cleansing. Every ounce of change and transformation. Nothing held back. Nothing hidden. In your powerful, healing name, amen.
Mrs. Eller, I don’t have chapter 2 (I only downloaded a “sample” of this beautiful book to my phone for now, due to finances), but from reading the first chapter via the sample and then THIS blog post, I KNOW that this is the book God has been leading my heart to!! I have cried so many tears already, from reading your words…wondering, hoping…could God really still love me despite everything in my past (and honestly, still some things in my present?) I struggle so very much! I just wanted to say THANK YOU for being such an obedient child of God and writing your book! I cannot imagine how difficult that process was, but I hope that you’ve been able to see/hear the impact it’s helped make on people’s lives (such as myself). What a beautiful experience to be a tool in the hand of God!
Hey Tricia, what a beautiful thing to say. I am privately emailing you.
Dear Tricia, my email address is blessingsrockwell@gmail.com, if you would email me with your last name and address, I would be happy to get the book for you and ship it to your address. I hope that you will stay connected. God loves you and is catching your tears. He says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14
Today I’m praying that all of us find the calm center of Christ and bring it to our relationships. The seasons when I struggled most, I focused on others and compared myself to them and “raised the bar.” But I’m learning not to judge others, and to forgive more readily. I’m glad grace is at the core of this thing. I blow it every day with my family. I’m grateful they can look to Him instead of me for integrous strength and identity. I still struggle with forgiving myself.
This is an excellent chapter. I read it and reread it.
Grace is at the core of this. : ) Thank you, Lynn.
Dear Suzie,
I am not participating in your current study but I read your blog regularly. Today I am embracing with my whole heart that I am “ready to strip the past, or people, of the power that they have taken in your thoughts? In your sense of self? In the way you view faith or life?”
On Wednesday, my divorce from my abusive husband became final. I have a lot of work to do, to reclaim in my head and heart the vision of myself that God has of me. I feel scared sometimes, but mostly sure that I am only at the beginning of discovery. Your prayers and support during this journey I know have helped. Today’s post is just one more example. Thank you Suzie. Truly.
Shelly, it’s found in many ways, but it’s definitely in our thoughts. It’s in our thoughts where we allow so much energy and so much of who we are to be devoted to what we should have said, what we wish they’d done, how angry we are, or how much it has hurt us. In The Mended Heart I refer to that as the playground of our mind — the place where conflict is never resolved, and it makes us feel better but changes nothing. God calls us into real life in our thoughts, which strips the power from people in our thoughts in such a transforming way.
Lord, thank you for a fresh slate with Shelly. For new days ahead, but your strength in the midst of today as well.
I wish I could just finally let go. I think I have dealt with things, and they just keep coming back to the surface. I pour my heart out to God, I have confessed over and over again. I’ve sought for forgiveness from loved ones who I have hurt and yet – I find myself going around in a vicious circle. Asking myself and God, here I am again, I thought I turned this over, I thought I was ready to move on. I don’t understand what am I missing. I hope and pray that I if there is anything I have not brought to light, that the Holy Spirit will reveal it to me and that I can release it, repent, seek forgiveness and move on. Thank you for your sensitivity and wisdom, thank God for your gift of writing and thank you for the scripture verses you have provided, God’s truth. And I just want to thank all the other ladies who have commented here. Your comments have been helpful.
Suzie,
I have a friend who has always said “We need to release people to be people, and God to be God.” I think that’s so true, and goes right along with what you’ve taught here. Thank you! 🙂
Dear Suzanne,
I know I am not alone in my struggle. You are here to give biblical guidance! I just sent Roman 8:1 to my younger sister, to encourage her, and to assure her that God loves her no matter what had happened to her past. I believe God is working in my life & in her life as well! Thank you Suzanne for your commitment in doing what u are doing best! May God’s hands reach to more people through your ministry of love! Amen!
Tracy 😉