Strength in Christ

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.


1 Corinthians 1:30-31


I used to live in fear.  I would face the threats and abuse and then cave and succumb their demands.  It was a common routine and I lived in chains that bound me to a life that felt trapped and hopeless.  After months of character assassination and feeling completely beaten into the ground, I found freedom.  I found strength. I found confidence in who I am.  I found a love beyond comprehension.


Divorce is a touchy subject.  I have had friends and family who turned their back in judgement.  It is ok.  I have learned that no one ever knows what takes place in the life of another.  No one knows the hurt, no matter what form it takes, and the decisions in which we are left to make.  


I have heard story after story of Christian women who have walked the road in which I have had to walk.  Women who have been abandoned by everyone that they previously thought loved and cared about them but each story ends the same way.  They have the most amazing relationship with Jesus.  That is where I am!


I have listened to people spew and twist scripture as an expression of their judgemental opinion (not just about me but those special to me), make assumptions based purely on gossip and love with conditions. Has it been painful? Absolutely!  Would I change a minute of it?  NO way!  Without the events that I have experienced I would have never met the Jesus in which I now know.  


I have weeded out the things and the people in my life who were cancerous.  We all have them in our life.  Sometimes we need the trials and storms in order for God to "highlight" just who they are.  It can be painful to realize who they are and we might spend a significant amount of time fighting against letting them go but once they are gone, there is a peace from God confirming our choice.  


I lived in fear because of abuse.  I lived in fear of being alone.  I lived in fear of not being able to survive financially on my own.  I lived in fear because of what others believed about me.  I lived in fear because of my divorce.  I broke free!


Because of God's great love and faithfulness, He showed me that every bit of fear that I held on to was fear that came from man.  None of my fear was based on His truth and His love for me.  They were fears that I allowed people to place into my head because of their lack of knowledge or faith in the true character of God. Now  my confidence and faith now come because of my strong confidence in who He is. 


I truly can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength!  All that I am, all that I have become and all that I still have left to do in my life will be because of His place in my life.