Transparent Post

(Turned Transparent Blog because it was just too long to be a post! Ha!)

Guilt was something that I struggled with for so many years after coming to Christ. I would feel guilty about every flaw I had as well as hold onto every wrong thing I’d ever done in life.

I would walk around crippled, afraid to truly be me, because guilt had a strong grip on me. I tried to walk such a good walk, like I really really did, and if I messed up in any way I would beat myself up really bad and lose all hope in myself.

For example, if I snapped at someone or God forbid I was late to work, all my confidence in my goodness(righteousness) would be lost. I would doubt who God had redeemed me as and all that He called me to be for days, weeks, months, years, you name it.

The thing with this kind of thinking is that I was placing all that God wanted me to be in my own feeble abilities. I placed my hope, trust and confidence in my “flawless” life and reputation rather than the finished work of the cross. My thoughts were that of guilt and shame, and I didn’t know that faith was suffocated by thoughts like that.

Now I have a different mindset. I don’t beat myself up anymore, because I know it does me no good.

I give those areas I struggle with to God and take up the promise He made me written in His word that says His grace is sufficient and that His strength is made perfect in my weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I am no longer paralyzed by the thoughts of guilt because I am comforted by the truth of Gods word that says He’s faithful to finish the work He started in me.

Philippians 1:6

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

I’m not plagued with anxiety regarding my weaknesses anymore and am free to be who I TRULY AM, one who is flawed and favored because of the instructions of God that says be anxious for nothing but in everything through prayer and supplication present your request to God and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will abide in my heart and mind through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

I no longer walk with my head held down because my confidence doesn’t come from my performance (even though the feeling of doing your complete best is ahhhmazing), it comes from knowing that I belong to the King of kings and the Lord of lords and that nothing can ever separate me from His love. God is enough!

Romans 8:31-39

…Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? …No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I speak about God boldly, not in fear that I may be bringing “shame” to His Name through my life knowing that God can even use my flaws, faults and failures for my benefit and turn it around for my good.

These things can also give someone else confidence that they too can know Him, speak of Him and be used by Him.

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Philippians 1:14

And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.

Where guilt no longer abides, love 💕 can live freely!

1 John 4:18

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

P.S.

I also am fully aware that new places in life call for a greater capacity to handle those places but I am also aware that God doesn’t give us what we deserve either.

Psalm 103:10

He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.

For every negative thing trying to tie itself to you, God has a truth about you and truth about Him for it. For every issue you’ve got, God’s got the fix through His instructions for it.

#TrulyArielleA #GodGirl

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