It may seem as if overcoming the fear in your past is impossible. But with God’s help, you can live a life of freedom from fear. Let me share what has helped me walk in victory.
Overcoming the Fear in Your Past
“I’ve screwed up big time. If you can do anything with my life, please do.”
That was the eloquent prayer I prayed in the early months of 1989. I was 17 and pregnant. I had dropped out of regular high school. My boyfriend was out of the picture. My friends were going on with their senior year. I was depressed and without hope. I slept in until noon and watched soap operas, and I was pretty sure my life was over …
But then I dared to hope.
I dared to believe my Sunday School teacher who’d told me, years before, that Jesus loved me. I dared to trust that God could and would forgive me for my mistakes. In a step of faith, I prayed to God and asked Him to rescue me. I trusted that if I turned my life over to Jesus that he could give me a good future–even though I couldn’t see it or imagine it.
It was during that time that my grandmother invited me to her women’s Bible study. It was there that I found help, hope, and the acceptance that God still loved me and had a good purpose for my life. I dared to believe that I could be a good mom and that someone might want me for a wife someday. Little did I know, but God already had the perfect husband in mind for me–John Goyer–who I would meet soon. All I had to do was trust in Him and allow Him to lead me towards the path He had opened for me.
I didn’t have to be perfect. I just had to be willing to seek Him and obey.
God does not expect us to be perfect, but He does expect us to seek Him for guidance, wisdom, and the strength to make the right choices. We do this by reading God’s Word, prayer, and following examples of those who put Him first.
Overcoming the Fear in Your Past
One way to find healing is by telling your story. Maybe your story is the one that will point another towards hope. While it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done, sharing my past mistakes in community was also one of the ways God healed the pain of my past. And the more I shared, the easier it became. Eventually, I was able to share openly without fear of guilt or shame and I saw how God used my obedience to bless so many. I was able to share the hope that had set me free.
Maybe it’s your turn? Here are some steps to help you use your past as a tool to help others find healing.
3 Steps to Using Your Past Pain to Help Others Find Healing
1. Consider your own heartache. How is this part of your story? Take a few minutes to write down the five hardest moments in your life. How did God show up in your hardship? What can you share about Him with others?
2. See your greatest failure as a great legacy of God’s goodness. How can you use your mistakes as a platform for reaching others? What would you want to tell someone who is going through the same pain? It is from those hurting places that you will be able to touch the souls of others.
3. Consider where you can share about the hope and healing that you found in Jesus Christ. Are you on Facebook? Do you have a blog? Are you in a Bible Study or small group? Do you have a friend who is hurting? When we are willing to crack open our souls, people listen. When we speak out of the hard places in our own lives they are willing to open up their hearts. Write down a few places where you can share your story.
For years I shared about my heartaches, through the pages of my novels. I still do. Yet as God has brought more healing, I share it in many other places too: in small groups, on this blog, and even as I speak.
I’ve realized that there are people out there who need to hear my story. It impacts them by causing them to look at their own lives.
You have a story to share, friend. You can use your past pain to help others. Share how Jesus has transformed you and encourage others to turn to Jesus in the same way.
Praying For Your Future Husband
From when we were small girls, most of us dream of “The One,” our future husband. We think about what it would be like to be a bride. We wonder who that special guy is and when we’ll find him. The great news is that what you do now can make a difference in your life and the life of your future husband! Praying For Your Future Husband
