Friday, May 4, 2012

Let Go of Pretending and Start Living

Mark 2:21-22,  “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.”

It is not God's will for any of us to be deprived of the best life we can possibly live. God wants you to experience all of the great joys and wonderful passions of living a christian life. Our Christian walk should not be a time of constant pain and bad experiences. It is true that what does not kill us makes us stronger. However, there are pleasures and wonders in this life that God desires to provide to his children. In order to welcome the blessings of God, we have to ensure that we do not limit ourselves or God by thinking the way the world thinks. God's blessings far surpass anything we can think of or imagine. They are not quantified by material wealth or money. You should not consider yourself less fortunate than someone because they have a nicer car, clothes, or home . True blessings are wrapped around the love that surrounds you.Through our obedience to God's will and principles, true blessings come in the way of saving the lost souls, loving our neighbor, and building our relationship with God. Psalm 1:1-3 says, "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers."

Obeying God requires us to re-evaluate ourselves and the things we posses in our lives. We must assess our motives in order to see where we are going. Sometimes, the only thing that gets in the way of receiving God's blessing is our inability to let go of the old so that we can receive the newness of Him. I have been guilty of holding onto old things. In one instance, I held onto a relationship so that I could avoid the feeling of loneliness. I held onto bad habits and attitudes which led me to the same dead end I faced the year before. Holding on is based out of fear of the unknown. I feared what would actually happen when I finally let go. I was unsure if more misery ensued. I believed the lie that without this relationship or attitude life would be much worse. What is sad is I held onto these things and chose to ignore the damage that my life was incurring as a result of my stubbornness. How much more of our ignorance can our lives take? Don't push your limits too far. Playing with fire is never fun, and it never ends well. 


Usually, the thing that we hold onto is  a fantasy. Some of us never grow out of the world of "pretend" and instead of seeing what is real we chose to adopt what we want to see as reality. This behavior creates a negative pattern in your life. If you take a good look at everything dramatic or negative that has happened in your life you can usually tie it back to the issue, person, or thing that you refuse to let go of. That is not God's design for your life. In order to claim what God has for us we have to be willing to step forward and name what is truly standing in our way. 


To often, we hold onto the hope of companionship or success in what we know is a bad relationship, friendship, or job. We must understand that our success can not be gained from that job, friendship or relationship. Your success rest in God.  I know that it is difficult to think about letting go, but the tough truth remains that living the life that God has designed for you rests on your ability to let go. God can deliver greatness to our hands  if you can come to a place where you can let go of the hurt from your disappointments, relinquish the painful words spoken over your life, or understand that you have the ability, with Christ, to stand with your head held high in the midst of sure rejection. Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."



We can do this - You can do this! Satan lives in this perverse deception that influences us to believe that it is too hard and we are not strong enough. That is not true. You can let go of that toxic job, bad relationship, financial turmoil, addiction, bad attitude, etc. Through the power of Jesus Christ, you can relieve yourself of anything that is not like Him or worthy of you. As a child of God, you are never stuck with anything. If you do not know Christ, it is never too late to yield yourself to the spirit of Jesus Christ to be saved and have access to these rights. Not only will God bless you for your obedience but he wants to use you to bless others. This is your chance to watch God perform miracles in your life. All you have to do is cease and let go. Remember, this is not just your battle to fight alone. God is with you and will fight for you if you believe and allow Him to. With God, all things are possible. Ephesians 3:30 reads, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,..." Trust God, believe His word, and let go today. Your best life is waiting on you.


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