Your Past Does Not Define You
Originally posted as a FB note on May 10, 2014
Your past does not define you
It's been a crazy week. Work. Studying for midterms. Homework. Studying, preparing and praying for the message I'll be speaking for Mother's Day tomorrow. It's been crazy, but good, somehow it always turns out good.
As I was thinking about my sermon for tomorrow, I couldn't help but think about where I was this day 17 years ago. My husband and I were preparing to have our first service at our very own church this day 17 years ago. It was an exciting time, full of hope, destiny and purpose. I was fearful, but confident in our calling, confident that this was exactly what the Lord had intended for our lives. I was looking forward to ministry, something I had known would be a part of my life since the age of 13.
That confidence was smashed to pieces just 3 months later. The destiny and purpose that I was so sure of was destroyed beyond recognition and I was left wondering what was to become of my life. My husband had suffered a major stroke and our lives, our world, was forever changed. Life as I had known it was gone and a new life was forced upon me.
It's funny, how during times of trouble, we lose sight of our destiny. We lose sight of our calling; our purpose. We struggled through our pastorate for several years, until the health issues continued to overtake my husband and I couldn't continue to carry all the responsibilities. I kept moving forward - through the motions- for quite a few years, but I knew I was missing something. Knowing that I was created to inspire hope, to encourage and to help others through their problems and bring hope through the Word of God, and not having that outlet left a very empty feeling deep within me. I knew I had something more to do - I just didn't know HOW to do it, where to start, or how to get back.
Thank God, through prayer, friendships and mentors, I was able to dig my way out of the pit in which I found myself. God is amazing and is always ready to deliver, help and save all who call upon Him. He has been my strength in the weakest times of my life.
My circumstances haven't changed, but I am no longer letting what happened in the past destroy my purpose. So often we use our past as an excuse to live in misery, to live in hopelessness. It's as though we live in parallel worlds, our past walking right alongside of our present, and we draw on how we felt back then to define how we chose to live today.
You have a purpose to fulfill, a destiny to walk into and you know it. You were once so confident of it, but let "life" mess you up - just like I did. I encourage you today to pick yourself up and walk into what you have been created to do. Your past does not define you. It defines your fears. It accentuates your failures and it robs you of your intended future. You cannot live in your past or let your past rule how you live today.
Call to the Lord, He is your help and salvation. Your purpose has already been defined by Him.
Choose life. Choose to live, really live.
~RevBecca
As I was thinking about my sermon for tomorrow, I couldn't help but think about where I was this day 17 years ago. My husband and I were preparing to have our first service at our very own church this day 17 years ago. It was an exciting time, full of hope, destiny and purpose. I was fearful, but confident in our calling, confident that this was exactly what the Lord had intended for our lives. I was looking forward to ministry, something I had known would be a part of my life since the age of 13.
That confidence was smashed to pieces just 3 months later. The destiny and purpose that I was so sure of was destroyed beyond recognition and I was left wondering what was to become of my life. My husband had suffered a major stroke and our lives, our world, was forever changed. Life as I had known it was gone and a new life was forced upon me.
It's funny, how during times of trouble, we lose sight of our destiny. We lose sight of our calling; our purpose. We struggled through our pastorate for several years, until the health issues continued to overtake my husband and I couldn't continue to carry all the responsibilities. I kept moving forward - through the motions- for quite a few years, but I knew I was missing something. Knowing that I was created to inspire hope, to encourage and to help others through their problems and bring hope through the Word of God, and not having that outlet left a very empty feeling deep within me. I knew I had something more to do - I just didn't know HOW to do it, where to start, or how to get back.
Thank God, through prayer, friendships and mentors, I was able to dig my way out of the pit in which I found myself. God is amazing and is always ready to deliver, help and save all who call upon Him. He has been my strength in the weakest times of my life.
My circumstances haven't changed, but I am no longer letting what happened in the past destroy my purpose. So often we use our past as an excuse to live in misery, to live in hopelessness. It's as though we live in parallel worlds, our past walking right alongside of our present, and we draw on how we felt back then to define how we chose to live today.
You have a purpose to fulfill, a destiny to walk into and you know it. You were once so confident of it, but let "life" mess you up - just like I did. I encourage you today to pick yourself up and walk into what you have been created to do. Your past does not define you. It defines your fears. It accentuates your failures and it robs you of your intended future. You cannot live in your past or let your past rule how you live today.
Call to the Lord, He is your help and salvation. Your purpose has already been defined by Him.
Choose life. Choose to live, really live.
~RevBecca
posted by Rebecca at 3:56 PM
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