“Something beautiful, something good, all my confusion He understood, all I had to offer Him was brokenness and strive and He made something beautiful out of my life.” Beloved, my life’s broken in pieces. Where are you in your journey? The year is 1995, my marriage is in trouble, we barely communicate. Counseling helps but I harbor so much hate and lack of forgiveness. We reconciled after I graduated in 1989 but for my part its lip service. Neil Anderson’s coming to our church. I’m scheduled to go to the Holy Land with Global Mission Fellowship to share my testimony. The conference’s exciting information about being free in Christ. I schedule a freedom appointment really with no idea of what I am going to go through but because I’m going to Israel, and yes I am hurting. I wanted freedom.
Humility per Dr. Neil Anderson is confidence properly placed and it is the opposite of pride. According to Proverbs 22:4, “humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life.” Then Proverbs 15:33 says, “Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD, and humility comes before honor.” Lastly, in Ephesians 4:2, “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. In humility I approached my freedom appointment, realizing that God loved Doug as much as he loved me and He did not love me best. This really humbled me.
Approaching my freedom appointment, remembering that God loves Doug, I feel that God’s lifting me up His due time. The Steps to Freedom address the critical issue between me and God as there’s a battle that goes on for our minds. By my not forgiving my husband, I’m giving a foothold to the enemy of my soul. I find such freedom this day as I forgive many people this day including myself. I recognize that there is only one true and living God who exists as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is worthy of all honor, praise and glory as the One who made all things and holds all things together.
So beloved, we are to cast all of our anxiety on him. On this day, forgiveness is hard, but forgiveness is not complete unless it visit your core of emotions. I cried a bucket of tears and I agreed to live with the consequences of the past sins and my heartache but to no longer hold those memories of choices we had made over his head. I accepted his love.
According to the Steps to Freedom, “Forgiveness is not merely forgetting, it is a choice a decision of your will, and it is agreeing to live with the consequences of another’s sin.” When we remember without the pain, we have to make the choice to do this, and we live with the consequences regardless of whether we do it in forgiveness as Christ has instructed us to do or not. My brokenness began to feel less broken.
Beloved, God cares for you and he cares for me. When I forgive my husband and cast my anxiety on the Lord, I feel His tender loving care.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!… Psalm 8:3-5
After my Steps To Freedom appointment, I went to Israel, three accepted Christ. my brokenness improved, my marriage turned the curve, I asked for God to restore the feelings of love toward my husband and He did over time. We’ve been married for forty-six years now God preserved our family and healed my broken heart. You see I gave the burden of my marriage to the Lord.
Life Lesson: Humility is confidence properly placed, one needs to walk in forgiveness. Cast your cares on Jesus because He cares for us.
Song: Something Beautiful
Father God, thank you for your love, your mercy, and your grace. Lord thank you for taking broken people and restoring them and making them beautiful. Thank you for seeing them beautiful while they are broken. You are our redeemer and we are redeemed those of us that have Jesus as our Savior. Thank you for humility since pride goes before a fall and destruction. Lord let us remember to walk in forgiveness. Thank you for caring for us. In Jesus’ name Amen
