christineditchfield

 

So, you are free! You are rescued, on the path to wholeness, fillchristined with anticipation and joy over where God is leading you. Yet there are still things that God is asking you to let go, as well as things that He’s asking you to hold onto — like Him, like truth, like freedom.

Today I am excited to introduce my friend, Christin Ditchfield. She just wrote a new book called What Women Should Know About Letting Go. She’s sharing 7 tips on how you can hold on to your freedom. She’s also graciously offered to give away one copy of her new book.

7 Tips to Hold on to your freedom

Christin Ditchfield

Jesus said if we believe in Him and continue in Him, if we’re faithful to His Word, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free.

Then later He said, “I AM the Truth.”

Though I’ve never been good at math, even I can grasp this equation:

Know Jesus = know Truth = know freedom.

Galatians 5:1 tells us, “Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free . . .”

Learning to stay free, to walk free, to live free… that’s a process, a journey. 

Here are seven things that help you do that!

Remember who you are.

Who God made you to be. The things that make you uniquely, individually, authentically you. Your personality and temperament, your special skills and spiritual gifts and natural talents, your background and experiences, your strengths and weaknesses.

Focus on becoming the best version of you that you can be – at this time, in this season of your life.

Identify your true priorities.

What has God called you to do right now? What are your most important relationships? Responsibilities? Ministries? Tasks or projects? What are the things you genuinely must do? Need to do? Want to do? What are the things that only you can do? Which ones are the most meaningful, rewarding, and fulfilling to you?

Everything you put on your plate leaves less room for something else. So choose wisely.

Learn to set healthier, more reasonable, achievable goals.

Learn how to break down those goals into smaller goals – smaller steps that are practical and doable.

Resist all-or-nothing thinking.

Just because you can’t do everything you want to do or planned to do – just because you can’t do it perfectly – doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it at all.

Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do something.

On my fridge, I have a magnet that reads: “When it comes to exercise, something is better than nothing, and more is better than less.” That’s true about a lot of things in life!

Celebrate your failures as well as your successes.

Think of them as learning experiences. Opportunities to gain valuable insight into what works and what doesn’t work for you, as well as areas where you need to grow and improve. Everyone makes mistakes – it’s how we respond to our mistakes that makes the difference.

Watch how you talk to yourself and about yourself.

It’s one thing to be honest about your shortcomings, to humbly confess your sins. It’s another thing to criticize yourself, berate yourself, belittle yourself, or call yourself names. Jesus doesn’t do that to you, and neither should you.

Follow the example of the psalmist. (Psalm 42:5, 62:5, 103:2) Replace your negative self-talk with words of truth and grace, hope and faith.

christin2

Remember Whose You Are.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, anxious and irritable, go through your to do list, and ask yourself these questions: Why am I doing this? Who am I trying to please? What am I trying to prove?

Remember that as you step out onto the stage of life, you are performing for an Audience of One. Your Abba Father. He is the One who created you, loved you, called you, chose you. He is the One who has a plan and a purpose for you – and it’s only His plan and purpose that counts.

It’s only His opinion of you that counts. It’s only His approval that truly matters.

letting go

 

How are you holding on to your freedom, with His help?

Which of these did the Holy Spirit whisper, “This is for you?”

On Friday, we’ll choose one of you (from the comments) to win a copy of Christin’s new book, What Women Should Know About Letting Go.

To connect with Christin Ditchfield