So many times in our lives, when we are making progress, something or someone will come along and try to knock us back. In the past that happened to me a lot. Whether it was at school or at home, or somewhere in between, there were many times that I just felt like I couldn't catch a break. And I would back up. It's very frustrating.
Even though I endured much intimidation and "put-downs" through those times, I never stopped trying to figure out a way to get to where I knew I needed to be. That includes even the very night I went to the Lord for healing. I have learned that sometimes you just have to press through the jungle to get to the river.
I talk about healing a lot, I know. But it is crucial in what I do now, and even more important that I tell others. Because when it comes right down to it, without the healing, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now. I can't back up.
“I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” ~Philippians 3:12, NLT
The old saying, "You've come a long way, baby" is true even for me. While I'm not a walking billboard for cigarettes, I am a walking billboard for the Lord. I have come a long way, baby! And you can come a long way, too. Just don't back up.
I have come too far to allow someone or something to stop me in my tracks. My pastor tells us repeatedly that if you are in the will of God, nothing can touch you, not even Satan! Oh, he may think he can and he may try his hardest to mess you up, but in all reality, he has absolutely NO power at all... unless you give it to him.
So many times I hear Christian people complaining about their problems and "how hard it is" to do things. It really breaks my heart to hear them when I know that if they would take their eyes off the past and what is bothering them and put them back on Christ, things would begin to work out. However, I watch as they continue on a downward spiral into the black hole of unforgiveness, bitterness, and anguish, blaming everything and everyone who crosses their path.
“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead...” ~Philippians 3:13a, NLT
"Well, you just don't know what I'M going through!" I hear. It isn't directly about what you're going through. It's about where your focus lies. If you aren't focused one-hundred-percent on Jesus, then don't expect positive things to happen! Plain and simple.
“...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...” ~Hebrews 12:1b-2a, NKJV (emphasis added)
If you aren't focused, if you have backed up, then how can you expect God to help you? However, if you are moving forward, trusting Him with everything you've got, then when the attacks come you will know what they are and how to handle them. You will walk through the fire unscathed instead of crumbling and complaining because you are under attack.
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...”
~Isaiah 42:2-3a, NLT
I've been there, too. I know. At some point you are going to have to ask yourself, "Is it worth it to continue to back up and let the enemy win? Or am I going to trust the One Who can get me out of it and make things better?"
Step forward today into the blessed life that God wants you to have! Start speaking positive things no matter what is going on. Speak to those things which are not as though they are. Put your foot on the neck of your enemy and declare your victory. And whatever you do...
Don't Back Up!
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"Sometimes... we have to get to a certain point in our lives where we are actually ready for God to use us. And God has to get us to that certain point in our lives when the clay is ready for the Master's hands. I was at that point the night God healed me." ~Shelley Wilburn, excerpt from Walking Healed
Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you weren't suffering depression, intimidation, or even verbal or mental abuse? Depression is a very real issue for many people. It causes health issues, affects relationships, marriages, your weight, and even your walk with the Lord. Many people don't understand that even Christians suffer depression. Shelley Wilburn knows and understands a life lived in the "black hole" of depression and intimidation. She suffered it for over forty years. She also knows what it's like when God heals you from it all, sending you on a wonderful journey of walking healed.
In Walking Healed, Shelley uses personal stories and biblical truths to encourage others and experience the hope that she walks in every day. She uses her story of healing to help others know that even depression is curable and that "nothing is impossible with God."
Shelley Wilburn and her
husband D.A. live in a house they built together on five and a half acres they
lovingly call their Rinky Dink Farm. Along with their moody little dog Buster,
they love to raise chickens, ride motorcycles, and watch the wild deer and
turkeys cross their field. Shelley and D.A. have three grown, married children
and three grandsons.
Shelley began writing when she was twelve years old.
She wrote on the Junior High School newspaper but didn’t follow her love of
writing until years later. She secretly wrote poetry but never let anyone read
her poems, keeping them hidden in a notebook. She has written several articles
for various newspapers, women’s magazines, and newsletters but didn’t start
writing full time until God healed her. That’s when she knew that writing was
her full-time calling.
Shelley tells of the complete change God has done in
her life through her ministry, on her website and through the motorcycle
ministry she and her husband share. Using her love of writing, motorcycle
riding, and wearing mismatched socks, Shelley has developed a unique ministry
of encouraging others using biblical truths and stories from her own personal
life.
Shelley loves to hear from her readers.
You can find Shelley at:
Twitter: @Shelley_Wilburn
Email her at: shelley@shelleywilburn.org
