When the Enemy Reminds Me of My Past

“Blog about abstinence? me? God this sounds like a job for a virgin, my past is way too filthy.” - Me (During the time I argued with God about blogging). I couldn't understand why God wanted to use me. I was still in the process of forgiving myself and completely letting go of my past. Isn’t funny how the devil operates? he decorates sin, lures you in, then he binds you to it. You've said “this is the last time” way too many times! The devil will make sure that sin controls your thoughts, choices and how you spend your day. In the midst of ALL of this, the same devil who teased you with sin is accusing and labeling you a sinner before God. As the devil is accusing you, Jesus is interceding for you. What kind of love is this?! Not only did He die on the cross (for you) but He rose from the dead (for you), and is now sitting at the right hand of God interceding (for you) - Romans 8:34!! The devil works hard to make sure that you don’t forget what you've DONE, to stop you from what you could DO, if you knew how badly God wants to free you. He’ll either use your thoughts, people or anything else he can find. His goal is to hold you back from being the person God has called you to be because you’ll destroy his plans to steal, kill and destroy. So what do you do when the enemy tries to remind you of your past?

Transparency: Unwrap Yourself, You are Your Greatest Gift to the World

Opening up to people is not easy. Some of us might be afraid of rejection. Others might be worried about being judged. Whatever the hesitation, being transparent is a major blessing, both to you and those around you. Reflect on all that you have been through in life; all your triumphs, all your failures, all your happy moments, those times of sadness, everything. Not one person on the face of this earth has experienced all that you have. You are the only person in the whole world who carries and knows your story. That story is special. Some people may like it, some will love it, some will despise you for your experiences, and some might even feel offended by your story. Regardless, this world needs your story. The good, the bad, all of it.

Every time we pretend to be someone we are not, we rob those around us of our true selves, which is our greatest gift to the world. Wearing a mask, putting on a front, and pretending to be someone other than ourselves is extremely dangerous. Each time we do this, we move further and further from our true selves and the mask that we are wearing becomes more attached to us. If we’re not careful, we might convince ourselves that the masks are really our faces.