And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”

Genesis 19: 17;26 KJV

Good Morning Beautiful,

When we say, “Lord, let your will be done,” what are we saying with this phrase? I can assume that many Christians are declaring that God leads them in their life, having full and total control of the outcome. But what happens to that devotion when God leads us into something that we weren’t quite expecting? Some of us have our eyes positioned too far into the future and too far in the past. Our perceptions are tainted because of what has us captive in our minds. 

Not too long ago, I was having dinner with a friend of mine, and we were discussing our “types” of men. We were both puzzled when this question presented itself “why do we chase after the ‘type’ of men that are not for us?” I was stunned because I didn’t have an answer for her. I couldn’t explain what that initial attraction was and why there was a specific type that I tended to go after, knowing that it was going to be destructive. 

I once heard before that based on our upbringing, we all have this story that we have created in our minds of how things should be. If you are a fanatic of binge-watching television, you should know how it feels when you don’t get the ending you were hoping to see. Like some of our shows, our lives create this magical ending, and we continue to search for what we feel will give us the desired results. Naturally, we continue to go after what we think will provide us with the expected ending we long to see. The issue with this is that our perceptions are tainted based on past traumas and hurts. So, as we try to recreate this ending, we tend to go after the same “type,” hoping for different finishes, but they all end the same–destructive, more hurt, more pain. 

When my friend asked me the question, “why do we chase after the ‘type’ of men that are not for us?” All that I could do was reflect on my past and the insecurities that I had and relate them to the men in my life and how they fed into what I felt I needed to feel secure and safe. In my choosing, I continued to go after guys that were never right for me because I wasn’t ready to let go of the past and go for the things that were healthy for me.  

You, too, maybe questioning the purpose of your waiting season and why God has been chastising you about things you have buried deep inside. I believe that to see what God has for us; God has to clean house to help us attach to what desires and plans He has for our life.

The past is not your friend.

Growing up, I have always heard the story about Lot and his wife. However, It never registered at a young age what her actions meant and how detrimental it was for her to look back at the destroyed city. As I got older and God was steadily bringing me to a place of forgiveness, I had to see that holding on to the past was harmful in so many areas of my life; Especially in relationships. 

I, however, felt as though I couldn’t remove myself from the past. I always reflected on the hurt of my past relationships and wanted to blame them for its ending. Not realizing that the past God was trying to show me had nothing to do with my past relationships. God was trying to show me the reasons why I chose to be with those individuals. So you can imagine the hurt I felt when God was literally saying, ” It’s not them, but it is you!” 

I had to deal with some past issues that I didn’t realize were traumas for me. So, yes, we all have some questionable traumas that we experienced but didn’t know the significance it has had in our lives. The trauma could be as simple as feeling like your emotions were shut down or an incident of being bullied at a young age.

Whatever that moment is for you; God is telling you that it is no longer your friend. We can no longer ignore the parts of us that need changing. We have to be in a place to unlearn the things taught to us by “man” that was never of God.

Renewing your mind

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Romans 12:2 KJV

“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 2:16 KJV

Our waiting season is not supposed to be a punishment, instead of looking at your seasons as waiting, what if you chose to see it as renewing. What is God trying to restore in you? Is it your mind, heart, soul? God has to be the one to free us from all past hurts to receive the blessings that He has for His people. 

I always use the Israelites as examples because their journey from bondage to the promised land is one for the books. If there is anything to learn, it is we need to let God show us freedom, or we too will wander for years. The Israelites could not go into the land promised to them, still being in mental bondage. They had to know what it meant to be physically and mentally free to receive what God had for them. 

Walking in the mindset to receive

God isn’t cruel by keeping our promises from us, but if He handed it to you before you could receive it, you would destroy your promise. The keyword this morning is receiving! God could be staring us in the face, but until we make room in our hearts for Him, we will never receive the gift that He has to offer. The correct way for us to receive is to let God renew our minds and hearts. God has a plan for us, but we have to recondition ourselves to chase after God’s goodness to accept the plan. To go from what is unhealthy to what is healthy; When we do this, this is the moment when we expect the unexpected. 

Reflect

1. What past issues have you in bondage? Can you identify them?
2. Pray for God to reveal the areas of your past that are holding you in bondage and that He will renew you in this season of waiting.

Submit your prayer request to us. We want to pray for you!

In your season of singleness, it can feel as though you are alone and at times depression and anxiety can overcome you. Here at Bulletproof Luv we want you to know that you are not alone and we want to pray for you in this season of your life.

We know that God is going to bless you and send you your promise! Submit your prayer request to us because we all need a little help at times to get us through.