“A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”
Psalm 34:19(NIV)
Confronting the debilitating areas in my life and publicly sharing them has brought liberation, but not without a price. Accompanying my liberty is increased accountability. 1 Chronicles 4:10: Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. I have become accountable, not only to family and friends but, to each person this series touches. My father made a profound statement at one of his recent Pastoral Anniversary Celebrations. He said, “To Pastor the way I pastor, makes me public property.” I am my daddy’s seed, and the Lord desires to display, through my obedience to this call, the destruction of STRONGHOLDS. “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” – He is EXPOSING. He desires that you see the working out of His good and perfect will (Romans 12:2). He is gracing you with a glimpse of how all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Frequently, the areas He chooses to EXPOSE we prefer to leave hidden. Our preference is addressing the surface items first, and He begins with those areas where the strongholds are the greatest. Why does He choose the most painful and difficult areas to address so early in our decision to submit to His cleansing? He does so because HE IS GOD! (I would cringe when people would give me this answer, but it is true. He owes us no explanation for how He chooses to fulfill His plans for our lives. Read Job 38-42:1-6)
Accepting God’s call to address the unhealthy areas in my life, and making a public declaration regarding this call has been life-changing! It has shaken and shattered the very barriers I constructed internally and externally to keep PEOPLE at a distance. My Husband often jokingly shares with PEOPLE, if he would allow me, I could live in a room alone and be content. Even though this statement is made in jest, it is painfully true! Okay, this was revelatory for me or a “WOW!” moment as my sister-in-law, Tabitha, would say. “I FEAR RELATIONSHIP!” As the Holy Spirit continues to usher me to my destined place of deliverance/healing, He is revealing feelings I couldn’t identify until recently. Being able to identify/label how I feel has been so refreshing! Confessing/Talking about it is a necessary step in the healing process. For years this STRONGHOLD/place from which this fear ruled my life has been ignored. My ignorance about and disregard for this place (except when storing each new disappointment, pain, or betrayal experienced) was the sustenance it needed to strengthen it's grip. Well, the time has now come for EXPOSURE, AND YES, THE DEMOLISHING OF THIS PRISON OF PAIN.
Come away with me as I share snap shots of my CONFRONTATION with the, “FEAR OF RELATIONSHIPS!”
Am I alone in my quest to overcome the damage caused by unhealthy relationships; and, the desire for healing? If not, let me hear from you! Join me in the pursuit of relational healing!
Until next month……………..
Submitting to His Will,
Tamara D. Pope
