If The Shoe Fits...

Over the course of 3 weeks I have run into a person that is part of a really bad past that I am not proud of. I have run into them twice now. Unfortunately, it's because they are related to a co-worker of mine. When I saw this person, all these negative feelings just kind of swept over me as my mind began recalling memories of that part of my past. It really bothered me for a couple of weeks. I was seriously worried that this person would spill the dirty laundry of my past all over the deli. It really upset me. But during those two weeks, as my mind began to wander off into the abyss, my spirit got to thinking too. It got to thinking about how over 2000 years ago Jesus died on a cross for me. All my sins, past and present, were washed away with His blood. He finished it. And I began asking myself... Why am I not walking in that?  Why am I allowing this to bother me? Satan's lies are completely powerless over me. He didn't die for me. He wasn't crucified for me and he didn't cleanse me and redeem me. He has done nothing for me. Kind of like a bad pair of shoes. They're not comfortable, they're the wrong size, and they just cause me pain. They do absolutely nothing for me.

When we allow our past to come back up and smack us in the face, it’s as if we’re putting on the wrong size shoe. We know it's too small and we know it's not the right kind. When we put on a shoe that is two times smaller than our feet, it becomes very uncomfortable, and even painful, causing blisters of all kinds. Our spirit works the same way. The enemy knows what our past is and every moment he gets he’ll try to shove it back in our face. But we can choose not to put on that shoe. Jesus said it is finished 2000 years ago and we need to be walking in that. I can’t count on two hands how many times I’ve let my past come back up and remind me of the kind of person I used to be.  I can’t tell you how many opportunities I’ve let pass me by because of my stupid fear. Fear of not being good enough to fit the shoe, fear of failing, fear of doing, fear of people not liking me or what I do, fear of well…everything pretty much, just FEAR FEAR FEAR. Ugh, I am so over my stupid fear! Jesus died on the cross to take away all my fear. He died in perfect love and the Bible says that perfect love casts out fear.

We can't allow the enemy to come and steal the victory Jesus accomplished for us years ago. Don't live in your past, it doesn't fit anymore. With Jesus we are a new creation, and that means we don't have to settle for the crumbs of our yesterdays. We can't change our past, so why would we want to live there? One of my favorite quotes is from the first Kung Fu Panda, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present." Let's start walking in what we have today. We are not defined by who we once were. Nor are we defined by people or our trials and we are certainly not defined by the enemy. Let us take hold of the victory Jesus accomplished for us and walk in it like it's the best pair of shoes we've ever owned! I choose to walk in who Jesus says I am and what I can do. Not the lies I am believing about myself. It's time for me to take charge and authority over the things that I know are mine. Today I am so thankful for God's love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. 

Love,
Amanda B.