WHAT'S STOPPING ME?

What is stopping me? This question has forced me to take a really long and hard look at myself, my activities, and my thoughts. In this time of self evaluation and reflection, I find that there are still some connections to issues that I thought I had already dealt with. These are issues such as shame, fear, guilt, and feelings of unworthiness. These bondages all played a part in disconnecting me from the invitation to be in the presence of my God. I also identified that deception has played a hand in the voluntary separation; and identity crisis plays an even bigger role in keeping me out of God’s presence. My diagnosis is that there is a grievous deficiency in faith and in the Word of God, and the treatment for this diagnosis is as simple as spending more time in the Word and prayer, and establishing an intimacy with the Father.

The thing that I have come to realize the most is that my separation from the presence of God is not because God does not desire my company in His presence, but it is the fact that I was a victim of the ever so prevalent deception that is plaguing so many people today. The reason that I have been a victim of this deception is because of a lack of knowledge. The Bible clearly tells us that we perish from a lack of knowledge. Once this was revealed, I began to wonder as to why I was able to be deceived in this manner, but I claimed to be a whole believer, going about my everyday living and claiming to be free. I realized that I was able to be deceived because I did not know who I was and suffered from acute identity crisis!

The fact that I suffered from identity issues opened the door for all of the other things that I also remained bound to. As I continued to take self inventory, I discovered that these things work hand in hand and I began to understand why we were instructed to be knowledgeable of the enemy’s devices. In my case, he used the guilt of decisions that I had made, and things that I had done to conceive shame. Once shame was conceived, it gave birth to fear and feeling unworthy to stand in the presence of God. Needless to say, I became very angry and I asked God how to remedy this issue.

While seeking an answer to the problem that had been identified in me, Holy Spirit began to bring affirming scripture to my remembrance. These scriptures told me that I was known by God before He even formed me and that I was bought with a price, that I am now an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ, and that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

When I read those words I made a choice to believe these things. I began to believe that since I am in Christ I am new. I began to believe that He does not keep a record of my sins. I began to believe that I have new mercies every morning, I began to believe that Jesus was bruised for my iniquity, I began to believe that God is faithful to forgive and cleanse me if I confess; I began to believe that I am the righteousness of God through Christ and that I have peace with God. I began to believe that I am not condemned because I am in Christ; I began to believe that I am a friend of God and that I am free because of the Son. Most importantly, I began to be transformed in my mind. Does that mean that everyday has been good, absolutely not! What happens when the enemy tries to bring me back into a place of deception? I get into the Word of God and talk to Him about what I am feeling. The Bible tells me to cast my care on Him because He cares for me. I also expose the enemy and his lies. I do this, because the Bible says that I overcome by the Blood of The Lamb and the word of my testimony. This tactic disarms the accuser and the more I began to expose the enemy the less power he has.

I am confident in the strategy that God gave me. I have seen it work not only in my own life but in lives of others. Not only does this work for my identity and shame issues, but it works for every issue. The Word of God is a hammer and it crushes every work of the enemy. So my discovery is that the only thing that can keep me out of the presence of God is my own unwillingness to be there. He wants to commune with His people, but He gives us a choice. It is my responsibility to know my rights as a believer, as a child of the Most High God, as a citizen of heaven. The only way that I will have that understanding is by having a relationship with his Word and activating His word with my faith in what He said. After all, He is not a man that He should lie or a son of man that He should repent and if He said it, then it will not return to Him void.

Today as you are reading this, may you be comforted in knowing that you are loved and valued. May you find peace in the presence of The Lord! I love you, but He loves you best!!