Getting Off the Ride and Walking In Victory!

What if we imagined the work of the enemy in the form of an amusement park? This park would be filled all sort of rides and games such as the “Roller Coaster of Insecurity”, “Tilt-My-World with Fear”, “The Bumper Cars of Dysfunction”, “House of Mirrors Reflecting My Past”. While it was never our intention to visit the park, there is something about the rides that just feels comfortable. We step up to the counter and say, “One ticket to the Roller Coaster of Insecurity, please!” We buy our ticket, get on the ride, buckle in as best we can and hope we make it to the end of the ride.

This might sound ridiculous to some. But being a person who has not only bought a ticket in the past, I think I might have held season tickets to some of these “attractions”.

One of the platforms I feel passionate about is seeing women set free from the past and walk out the destiny God has planned for them…in stilettos, of course! I have met literally thousands who struggle with overcoming the past and realizing that God’s heart is for them to live victoriously. Just as important is the realization that we are daughters of God. We are His girls. He loves us. We have such a hard time really embracing both of these truths.

As I was meditating on this, the Lord gave me a visual of an amusement park with the rides I shared above. Not only do we feel comfortable in this type of “park”, we purchase tickets and believe we have to revisit the past over and again in order to really overcome. Weapons from the enemy such as fear, insecurity, shame, guilt, regret, etc., etc. are typically present in this cycle. Not only do we accept this cycle, we choose to then become identified by it.

For instance, when someone who struggles in this area introduces themselves to me they might say, “Hi, my name is _____, I’ve been divorced for ten years”. It’s almost as if “I’ve-been-divorced-for-ten-years” becomes their last name. This always makes me sad because it’s as if they have to reveal their feeling of failure so I won’t judge them. The truth is they are continually judging themselves and have allowed this feeling to failure to become their identity.

Isaiah 43:18-19 (AMP)
18Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. 19Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

God is the creator. He is about creating newness and bringing life. He's also the God of forgiveness from our past. He can heal and bring new life from our past. The hard part is our ability to truly take steps to release the past and experience His healing.

If there is something / someone to forgive:then forgive and move on. If there is a relationship that needs healing: pray about it, do what God says and then wait. If you feel badly about your self- image: then act! If there are traumas or more in-depth healing that is needed, seek wise counsel for help. Instead of being comfortable in these areas which bear no fruit – decide to embrace the freedom that comes with forgiveness, walking out your destiny and loving others and yourself! It’s the way God intended us to behave because He loves us and died for us to have this freedom.

And, when the enemy offers a ticket to one of his emotional roller coasters of the past, instead of buckling in and trying to endure the ride – refuse the offer and walk in freedom. Pretty soon the acceptance of grace will become the new way of life.

Stephanie Henderson
Stephanie Henderson Ministries
www.stephaniehendersonministries.com

Forgive and Forget??

Happy New Year! We hope your Christmas and New Year holidays were
memorable. We enjoyed much family time and peace.

Today I'm sharing a piece from one of the new conference series I'm
teaching this year and the book that I'm writing called, "Forgiving
Him...Forgiving Myself" A Journey of Deepening Intimacy in
Relationships. While we are all considering our New Year's
resolutions, forgiving past hurts is a great place to start! Why not
begin this year with a heart of forgiveness?

I'm very excited about this new conference series and this writing
adventure. Writing is a a little intimidating for me because because
grammatical sentence structure is not my forte! But...that's what
editors are for and I am thankful for having a great one. :)

Steph


Forgiving Him…Forgiving Myself

“I believe I’ve learned the most about forgiveness by personally
applying it to the people I thought deserved it the least”.
-Stephanie Henderson

Let’s be honest, there are some people who, we feel don’t deserve our
forgiveness. They have said or done the ultimate sin; they have
crossed the line once too many times and have brought undeserved pain
into the lives of others. We make statements such as, “They should
not be allowed to breathe air!” At the moment of such intense hurt,
we can feel steadfast in one thought, “I will NEVER forgive them nor
will I EVER forget what they’ve done”.

Forgiveness is tough. Period. While this statement rings true, we
also have to realize the ultimate importance forgiveness plays in
moving forward in healing from our past.

You and I have both read or heard, “forgiveness is two-sided”. I
agree that two-sided forgiveness is the best outcome from unfortunate
circumstances. However, biblical forgiveness is actually one-sided.
In order to exercise biblical forgiveness, I (me, myself and I) must
choose to forgive whether the other party ever chooses to reconcile
the relationship or not. Ouch! It’s one sided.

Matthew 5:44 - But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you,
Matthew 5:45 - that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He
causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 6:14 - For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Mark 11:25 - And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against
anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you
your sins.
Romans 12:20 - On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him, if
he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will
heap burning coals on his head.
Luke 6:35 - But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them
without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be
great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to
the ungrateful and wicked.
Luke 6:36 - Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Luke 6:37 - "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not
condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Luke 6:38 - Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure,
pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into
your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Proverb 20:22 - Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait
for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

-Excerpt from "Forgiving Him...Forgiving Myself"

*Stephanie Henderson