By Sheree Craig
It is crazy how one pivotal moment in history can lay the foundation on which we view the world, build relationships, and make decisions in life. I can remember the exact moment that solidified the foundation on which I base my thoughts.
For years I created a life based on this foundation. Each moment in time created walls, closed doors, and locked multiple portions of memories up. I felt like the life being built was the one I deserved. Year after year, the life I created portrayed a solid exterior while the interior was a complete mess.
Eventually a house built on an unsteady foundation will crumble. The exact thing happened in my life. The foundation I built upon was that of lies heard from others, false beliefs of myself based on other’s opinions, rejection from someone I looked to for approval and chaos in the world surrounding me.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:24-27).
Well, the rain came, streams rose, and the winds blew with extreme force countless times. I crumbled and fell with a great crash. Thankfully, God sent His mighty angels in to help pick up the pieces He desired for my life and toss the ones less desired. I knew God. I heard His Truths at church every Sunday growing up. The problem arose when I did not allow them to sink into my foundation. I did not build a life on His Truth. Instead, I tried to fit His Truth into the life I created.
His angels helped me build a foundation saturated with Truth. God’s Truth provided steady ground to repair the damage from my past. He began to create a beautiful picture from all the broken pieces from my past. He loved me as I processed buried emotions, replaced lies with Truth and grew in strength. I began to walk the path laid for my life.
Do you have a pivotal moment in life? A moment in time you just can’t shake off? A time that remains vivid in memory and leads to damaging emotions?
My dear friends, God is here to take your hand and guide you through the process of healing. It does not happen overnight. Triggers arise along the path that send you right back to the moment, feeling the emotions stir and tempted to use old ways of coping. God wants to take that memory and remove all the enemy’s lies. He wants to use each emotion for His good. He desires healing for your heart and in turn will use you as a vessel to help others living the same moment.
Is it easy? Absolutely not! I still stumble along the path when triggered to relive the pivotal moment in time which damaged my spirit. The enemy used that moment to manipulate my thoughts, define worth and destroy self-confidence. God speaks louder than the enemy. I can hear God speaking to my spirit now. The enemy continues to use evil tactics attempting to change my thoughts. With prayer, sharing emotions with others and speaking my testimony, the enemy remains defeated.
Put on God’s armor each day to heal, grow and be used by God.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:10-17).
