Fear/Break Loose/

Our scars can be lessons. I make that statement because it’s always up to the person on how they will use their scars in life. Either the person will learn from them or die from them. Sometimes we feel that our bad choices in life cannot be used to give hope to someone else. The beautiful thing about redemption is that I can bounce back. I am a true testimony of God orchestrating my life to make a radical comeback from situations and bad choices that should have destroyed me in some way. So let me provide some encouragement for you on today.

First, shame is overrated. Do not take offense to that statement. This is not to be insensitive to people’s life stories but to open our eyes up to how similar all of our life stories are. To be shameful is to be quiet about a specific thing. It’s to act as if you are a unique case, and that no one on planet Earth have gone through what you have. These words are mentioned by the wise Solomon of the Bible, “That there is nothing new under the sun.” Some of us have been tricked to believe that our shameful moments cannot be redeemed, because no one that we know have experienced it. But if there is nothing new, no new sin committed, nothing you are experiencing is new, then we must realize that there is a way out. Shame is like this worn-out song that we keep singing in the midst of hundreds and maybe thousands of people singing the same song everywhere else. I cannot be shamed of my story, when I am not the only one that dealt with that. Yes, it can be some differences within our stories, but we dealt with the same pain and hurt that comes from trauma, tragedy, and bad choices. So do not allow shame to silence your story that someone else needs to hear.

Second, feeling guilty is a death sentence. Victimhood can go two ways. First, a person can remain a victim due to not letting go of what someone did to them. Second, a person can act as a victim to bad behavior due to not letting go of things they have done to others. They feel that they cannot change, or they have to work their way back into people’s good graces. Let me say this. Yes, people do need to be held accountable for their bad behavior, but not become chained to it. Forgiveness is a real thing. I cannot spend my life trying to explain to people why I am not the old version of myself when Christ made me new. Sometimes we allow guilt to kill our future due to our refusal to move forward. Of course, I know that certain choices come with harsh consequences that results in broken friendships and relationships, but you can be redeemed. Feeling sorry for yourself is not going to give you the strength to move forward in life but keep you bound to that same mistake.

Third, become a teacher. Let’s start looking at our mistakes as lessons. At some point in your life, you must become a teacher. That means becoming someone that is capable of teaching others how to navigate life well. You made a mistake, and now you are showing others either how to go through the process of recovery or avoiding the wrong path you chosen. We cannot settle for being a group of people that always need someone to pat us on the head, tell us “its going to okay”, or clean our wounds every day of our lives, but to mature into a group that know how to take a hit and get right back up. Of course, I believe we all need a community to hold us up when life starts to hit us, but we also need to resemble that same type of community that others need as well. It’s a two-way interaction. If a person needs someone to talk to, I can be there. If I need someone to talk to, I can go to that person. Even if that is not like that in your life, I’m learning to make God my best friend because He knows the “real me”. He also knows how to put me back on my game so I can overcome the hurdles and obstacles in this life. Since it’s not His will for us to do life alone (ISOLATION IS DEATH…#lessonlearned), He will place the right people in our lives to walk this journey with us.

Do not ever feel that you do not have nothing to offer in this world due to your past. Your troubled past can turn into beautiful lessons for others to learn from. Stop looking at the scars as a stumbling block, but a gateway to a better future. Hey, if I did not learn how to feel pain, then I would not have the mindset to desire better in life.

As always, feel free to comment and share your thoughts! See you next week!