Find Your FREEDOM!

I should have started this blog back at the beginning of my training. SO MANY good nuggets I could have written about more extensively than in a social media post.

But I'll start here from my week 7 class last week. Only 1 class to go after tonight! Then retreat!

In our Bible study we have been going through the book of Nehemiah. We were in chapters 9 and 10 last week. We talked a lot about repentance. True repentance.

Repentance defined is: the action of repenting; sincere regret or remorse.

Repentance is not the words, I'm sorry. True repentance is sincere. It's changed behavior. It's turning away from the sin that holds us back. 

Repentance changes lives. It can change your life. Secrets keep us sick.

"We must remind ourselves that if we do not let our repentance lead us towards praise, we will stay sick. If all our repentance does is tell us how bad we are and does not lead us to how good God is, we will stay lame. If all our misfortunes and bad choices in life do not lead us towards a heart of praise, we will never be free." - From our Revelation Wellness Bible Study

Repentance does bring FREEDOM!

I can tell you personally the freedom I'm experiencing right now in so many areas is a direct result of finally letting go. It's from repenting and and handing over things I'd been gripping so tightly for far too long.

I had to release my relationship with my now husband. Not that our relationship was bad, not at all, but we wanted to do things our way, not the way we needed to be doing things. I've had to release my behaviors around disordered eating. I kept begging God to just help me with my weight and ignoring all the tools he has given me to help myself. I didn't turn to him when I was struggling. I even had to release my disobedience of not doing even the simplest things God was calling me to. 

These are all definitely works in progress. But my mind sees them different. Previously, I just didn't take these things to God, I held them tight trying to "fix" them myself. 

My life has changed so drastically in the lasts several months due to this release. Not just an I'm sorry God, not I really wish I could do better, not I'll work on that soon, but real heart and behavior change.

I've had to have a sit down with myself about even having a desire to have God call out such things, to show me the things I still need to release, because I can guarantee you that I'm still gripping lots of things. Some I may recognize, some he may not have shown me yet. I need the willingness to hand them over when he does show me, because delayed obedience is still disobedience. 

There is zero shame in saying I was wrong, I want to and I and I will do better! Sometimes we don't know until we know. But once we know it's time to let go.

What is not repenting holding you back from? 

What are you refusing to release?

What do you have your fingers grasping tightly? And, why?

Take a few minutes and think about the things you know you are holding back from a better relationship with God. Take them to him and release them to him today. Find your FREEDOM and then PRAISE the Lord.

“Stand up and praise the LORD your God, for he lives from everlasting to everlasting!” Then they prayed: “May your glorious name be praised! May it be exalted above all blessing and praise! Nehemiah 9:5