Inspiration

Don’t Count Yourself Out

theanointedwriter

This song has been on my heart all weekend and it is exactly how I have been feeling.

At my local church here in Jamaica, it’s Family Month. The theme for the month of activities is, “Breaking Barriers; Building Bridges”. For two nights and two days of each week in the month of June, various speakers will be presenting on different barriers that affect the family and how to build bridges to address them. The first lesson of the month was, “Breaking Barriers of unforgiveness; Building Bridges of Forgiveness”.

There are many areas of unforgiveness that need to be addressed within the family. Many families experience situations where there’s malice and bitterness among siblings and relatives. Many single parent families are filled with pure hatred and bitterness, as a result of one parent leaving the child(ren). Each family has its own fair share of barriers but what dawned on me personally, was the barrier of unforgiveness I had erected against myself.

We’ve all had occasions where we’ve done wrong things in the sight of the Lord. We end up feeling so bad about what we’ve done that we believe that we don’t deserve forgiveness. These feelings toward ourselves linger. They linger and transform into hatred and bitterness. We sink ourselves into a well of unforgiveness that hinders our own growth and stifles our own well being.

Where man has forsaken us, God has forgiven us, even when we have forsaken ourselves. Life has its ups and downs, sides and rounds but we should never allow unforgiveness to creep into our souls. We become so preoccupied with what we’ve done wrong, we forget that we have a loving and forgiving father who died for us. We forget the promises that have been declared over our lives and we simply lose sight of hope.

The beautiful thing about these experiences, is the fact that God uses these down times to teach us the most valuable, life changing lessons. It’s these situations that bring us closer to God. As Jamaican Gospel Artiste, Jermaine Edwards says,

Don’t count me out yet I’m still running.

Don’t count yourself out of the race of life because of an issue you have with yourself. While you’re running, always remember that you’re never alone – God is with you. The pain, the hurt and the pressures of life itself, along with personal issues will -at times- become unbearable. But as 1 Peter 5:7 says, “cast all your cares upon Him.”

Jesus cares about every fiber of your being, even the simplest, minute detail. Never underestimate His power to step into your situation just when you need Him. He’s here to supply all your needs.

Steps to Breaking Barriers of Unforgiveness and Building Bridges of Forgiveness within Yourself

  1. Let it go

Stop thinking about the problem. Quit making mention of it. When God is trying to place the problem in the recesses of your mind, speaking or thinking about it will only place it at the forefront. This will only make it harder for healing to take place.

  1. Remember that God is always with you.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. – Deuteronomy 31:6

  1. Tell yourself that it is well with your soul.

There is life and death in the power of the tongue. What you speak or dwell on mentally is what you give life to. Switch your focus on more positive things. Speak words of affirmation like ” I forgive myself of whatever wrong that I have done. I am forgiven.”

  1. Give God thanks

Praise Him for the experience. Rejoice for the hurt. Give thanks for the mistakes. Then, continue to give Him all glory, honour and praise for the journey ahead.

The road will be rough, the journey will be tough but remember, don’t count yourself out.

Originally written by Amoy A. Adams (theanointedwriterjm@gmail.com)

0 thoughts on “Don’t Count Yourself Out”

Leave a Reply