For many years, I lived a life of depression, despair, and distress. Darkness filled my days, and hopelessness filled my nights. Pain was the norm for me, because it was all I knew. I had no peace, and believed that my life served no purpose. My sin-sick soul desperately needed a healing, but I convinced myself that there was no help for me. Though I loved God, read my Bible, and attended church regularly, deep within my heart I felt like the black sheep of the royal family. In my mind, I was a lost cause and I accepted that my life would amount to nothing.
In my worst, darkest moments I would beg God to let me give up and quit, and I could never understand why He wouldn’t let me. As many times as I let go of Him, He never let go of me. I now realize that He would not allow me to die in my pain, because He had purpose and life destined for me.
Back then I could not see that even through all of my pain and sorrow, God’s hand was always present in my life, and He had a plan for me. You couldn’t have paid me to believe that.
I can’t pinpoint my exact aha moment, but something definitely clicked in my mind, letting me know that God had a much better life in store for me and I could no longer allow the grip or guilt of my past to hold me back. That’s when I decided to really get to know the Lord for myself, and develop a deeper relationship with Him through praying, fasting, and studying His word.
Although I accepted the Lord at the age of 14, it wasn't until my late twenties that I truly gave my life to Christ. Oh, what a wonderful change! It blows my mind to look back and see how much God has changed my life. And He hasn’t changed bits and pieces of my life, EVERYTHING is new – My perception; my convictions; my attitude; my conversations, my desires; my relationships…everything. God has reconstructed (And continues to do so!) my whole life.
And you know what? He wants to do the same for you.
The thing I love about God, but didn’t always realize, is that He has is not a respecter of persons. 2 Corinthians 5:17 specifically says, “ANYONE who belongs to Christ…” That includes you.
The enemy (Satan) will do his best to condemn you and hold your past over your head, but Romans 8:1 says “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t hold our guilt against us? But when we come humbly before Him seeking mercy and forgiveness, He washes it all away, and makes us new. How awesome is that!
God desires that you experience newness of life in Him. He doesn’t care what you’ve done, or where you’ve been. The pain you’ve felt does not define your life. There’s more for you. Whoever you are, where ever you are, I encourage you to submerge yourself in Christ. In Him you will find that all things have the possibility of becoming new in your life. And there’s nothing like becoming new in Christ. It’s an experience like no other.
Here’s an affirmation for you: I am a new person. My past is forgotten. Everything is new.
Be Beautiful,
Keisha
xoxo
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