Healing Hurts – Page 3 – REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES

Are you always trying to measure up to others?

Growing up, and even as an adult, I was always comparing myself to others. I don’t know about you, but I could never measure up. Clothes, hair, intelligence, abilities… it didn’t matter. I had myself under a microscope seeing every fault but never seeing the good. This kept me in a constant state of discouragement and feeling inferior to everyone.

When we grow up in an environment where individuality isn’t celebrated or encouraged, it’s very difficult to see ourselves as valuable. I don’t blame my parents, I know they did the best they could with what they had. Particularly because, they probably didn’t get the encouragement they needed as children either.

I am so thankful today for the gift of God’s Word that speaks truth into my life. That is the only way I can keep my head on straight. To see myself, the good, bad and the ugly; knowing that makes me who I am. God knows my weaknesses and my strengths. And if I turn them all over to Him, He can use them to do something wonderful.

Be intentional. Be committed. To walk according to God’s Truth. Finding His promises and declaring them over our life each and every day will keep us in the right frame of mind, appreciating ourselves in the big scheme of God’s plan. Our standards can only be His standards for our life and for what He designed us to be and do.

When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:12

Do you struggle with feelings of inferiority? How are you working through that?

It’s time for some great worship music to celebrate who we are! Turn up your speakers and get set free from inferiority with I Know Who I Am by Israel Houghton http://youtu.be/y3UOCVkYWIY

Can you hear the scream? How many times have you found yourself in this position?

There was a time in my life when I looked just like this photo. I was so full of anger that I couldn’t function normally. God showed me a vision of a volcano boiling deep inside my spirit; bubbling up and overflowing, the anger spewed out of my mouth with vulgar hateful words followed by actions that destroyed anything in my path.

On the surface my anger was directed mostly at God because my husband and I had been betrayed by some Christian friends. Below the surface I had unknown childhood hurts and wounds that fueled the raging fire I carried within. I managed my pain with substance abuse and other self-destructive behaviors which only fueled the fire. Soon my anger was out of control and so was my life. Then my loving Heavenly Father put me in a time out compliments of the county jail. It was the best thing that ever happened to me!

When anger runs our lives we are a danger to ourselves and to those around us. Uncontrolled anger is devastating and no one is exempt from its repercussions. It destroys marriages, shatters friendships, brings down businesses, breeds violence in our communities and war among nations.

There are many reasons to be angry today. Just watching the news can get tempers flaring. The world has us running hard and fast with emotions in a frenzied state. Millions are unemployed and those fortunate to have jobs are over committed, overworked and often underpaid. Many people are outraged with their corporate pensions slashed, homes lost, or suffering with painful debilitating illnesses.

Anger is an emotion that centers on getting control. With God’s hand seemingly absent we take over the situation. Anger clouds our judgment as we become consumed with problems and pain. Before we know it our anger escalates from a simmering indignation to a blazing rage.

What can we do to keep anger from taking control?

**2 Steps to Overpower Anger:

1. Ask yourself: Can I change the situation?
2. Take action: If you can change the situation, change it. If not, release it to God.

These steps may seem oversimplified but they are basic common sense. The challenge is dealing with our emotions. Once we can step back from the situation and remove our emotions, all we need to do is access the situation and our ability to change it. If we can’t change it the only thing left to do is give it to God.

My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done. ~ James 1:19-20 (Contemporary English Version)

Acknowledging our powerlessness over situations we humbly go to God not demanding our rights but surrendering ourselves and the situation to God. We may feel powerless, but in fact we are the only one with the power to release our anger to God. No one else can do that for us. Once we release our anger God will give us the grace to overcome it.