“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you” (Romans 12:2, MSB).
Hello, fam. Yes, you’ve earned the family membership! It’s the love and consistency you demonstrate with reading the posts and giving feedback (light – filled, mind-opening) for me. I am so blessed to have you here. I know you won’t be tired of my saying “thank you so much”.
Let’s throw it back to this day last week when we were busy unboxing. I believe you had a wonderful time digging into your treasury and reaching out for the innumerable valuables in it. If you’ve not had the chance to do so, it is never too late. Remember, the package is yours, and it has come to stay! So, reach out for the item you need at any time. Perhaps it’s your first time here, and you are a bit lost, we had a mass delivery of packages in last week’s post, “Unbox with me”. Your package was in the collection as well, so you can head right there to claim it after you are done here.
Today, we are looking into “That’s not you!” I can hear you asking me a question; “What’s not me?”, or “What doesn’t look good on me?” If either of these two describes your thought, you are about to get an answer. But let me give you a hint ahead; you will have to let go of something. I hope you will be willing to do that.
Before we continue, I will like to remind you about a few things from the first blog post; My Hearty Welcome. I stated five points about the purpose of the blog. For about three weeks now, the posts have majorly been addressing the third point, which is “…that we might live every day in the consciousness of WHO we are (a whole Imago Dei), and WHOSE we are”. Today’s post comes with a slight difference, as we will be adding a touch of an(other) purpose(s).
Let me give these two instances, which will either describe where you have been, or where you are currently but will soon cease to be. There has been a time that we did or said something that we were not proud of, or probably wronged someone. You might have realized it in time (or not) and even tried to make amends or salvage the situation (by apologizing or getting the act right), but some harm has been done.
Here’s the second, and this might resonate more than the first. There are some moments we let down our guard and are vulnerable, and this sometimes creates loopholes for spaces we never want to be because they are not healthy for us (in every sense of the word).
Imagine being in a position where you are angry at someone or got jealous because he or she is always at the frontline of activities or events that you would have loved to be in, or a space that you desire to be in but might or might not have the capacity for. At that very moment, you might have felt like the good you were doing was not recognized, or that you could do better if you are given the chance to. Now, we are not here to judge ourselves. We are going somewhere.
Two things that the instances above have in common are feelings of guilt and regret, after the display of emotion or the effect of our action wears off. We feel terrible, question our sense of goodness, and get hurt in the long run. A major consequence is that this experience affects our future relationships and interaction with people, as it makes us downplay our sense of sincerity. This is because the guilt of our past actions comes back to haunt us at every chance it gets.
Here’s a good news alert! “Where is the god who can compare with you- wiping the slate clean of guilt, turning a blind eye, a deaf ear, to the past sins of your purged and precious people? You don’t nurse your anger and don’t stay angry long, for mercy is your specialty. That’s what you love most” (Micah 7:18, MSB).
Here, you have your key to freedom. Have an understanding that you have been forgiven. Those were the ignorant times, and they have been overlooked. The One to Whom you belong has wiped your slate clean. He isn’t seeing it, He won’t even hear of it anymore. You might want to shout for joy at this point!
Now, you have to forgive yourself. It’s high time you let go of that hurt that has drowned your productivity, self-worth, love, and acceptance. I will put this in plain words; YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON, AND YOU ARE A LOVE BEING. This, right here, is the real you! You are good because of what He has done for and in you. You have His nature, you have His mind. No longer will you be held down or back by negative thoughts or guilt, not anymore!
In self-forgiveness, your confessions are very important. When guilt comes to knock at your door, you rise to the occasion by declaring your freedom with boldness. This marks a significant change between the old you and the new you.
As you heal, your mind becomes open to the strengths and hidden possibilities in you. You are no longer intimidated because of someone else’s exploits. Rather, you celebrate them from a place of genuineness and love. You tap into the hidden treasures in you, and you dig up the fountains.
In overcoming these negative emotions, you can always say a word of prayer for the other person. Your words or actions might not reach out to them at that time, but your prayers sure go a long way even when they have no idea. Whether or not you are in close contact, they need your heartfelt prayers.
I’ll leave you with this; it is a very good time to start believing what The Mirror (The Word) says about you. A lot of wonderful things have been said about you there, and that is what defines you. Even when you find yourself slipping into the state you do not want to be, set the real you in motion with your declarations.
Once again, thank you for scrolling and reading every letter in this post. Till we meet again and beyond, keep winning!
3 comments
Great work, sis
Thanks alot, remember to always come back every week and share with friends too.
Thank you❤️.