What Was I Missing? This Is My Testimony! – Erika Owens

I made up our minds to practice Jesus when I used to be a bit woman, and I used to be on hearth to start with. There’s a hysterical tape recording (sure, I’m that previous) of me damn off Bible verses and making a song camp songs. I’m grateful the Phrase of God was once instilled in me when I used to be younger as a result of regardless of the place existence took me, I nonetheless had verses and songs to dangle to. However as I grew up, I driven Jesus to the outskirts of my existence. In consequence, I spent a lot of my existence treading water, simply seeking to keep afloat. What was once I lacking?

I used to be lacking one thing.

Even if I had authorised Jesus as my Savior and had grown up with some stage of religion, I used to be now not residing the ample existence Jesus promised. I battled lack of confidence and despair as an adolescent. Alcoholism and promiscuity as a tender grownup. Concern and fear as a mother. Strongholds and struggles paralyzed me and even supposing I might steadily cry out to God for lend a hand, I remained caught in the similar depressing cycle of remorseful about, repent, and repeat.

I used to be lacking religion. I used to be lacking peace. I used to be lacking victory. And I used to be depressing.

I used to be lacking religion.

I wasn’t lacking saving religion, however I used to be lacking believing religion. I attempted to keep watch over the whole thing, now not absolutely trusting the results to God. This loss of religion impacted my circle of relatives, my relationships, my price range, and my long term.

I attempted desperately to keep watch over the results in my existence as a result of I used to be now not absolutely satisfied God would deal with them. I knew He may, however I used to be now not satisfied He would. After I confronted trials in my existence, I cried out to God in prayer, however I struggled to imagine He would resolution. My prayers had been typically extra a declaration of the way I believed issues must move than an enchantment to God for His will. I used to be so stuck up in attempting to determine how He would transfer that I couldn’t get out of the best way and let God be God. I used to be now not absolutely satisfied.

Within the Bible, we examine a person named Abraham whom God known as righteous as a result of his religion. What was once it about Abraham’s religion? What did he do this I used to be now not doing?

For starters, he agreed to practice God to an unknown land a long way away with out achieving for a map and charting his personal direction. He stepped out in religion and allowed God to take the lead. Then, when God informed him to sacrifice his son, the son God had promised after which miraculously supplied, he didn’t hesitate to obey. He knew God would now not smash His promise and even if he had no thought how, Abraham depended on that God would paintings all of it out. He moved ahead in religion, leaving the main points to God.

Totally satisfied

Abraham constantly depended on God! Even if he may now not see the outcome and the whole thing about his present state of affairs appeared opposite to what God had promised, he didn’t waiver in unbelief. He believed in God, and he believed God. Regardless of what he noticed and even if there was once no reason why to wish. Abraham depended on God as a result of he was once absolutely satisfied that God would do what He promised!

Abraham had an absolutely satisfied, no-turning-back, all-in-for-God, even if existence will get loopy more or less religion! I wished that more or less religion! I had to seize cling of a few fact to be able to surrender keep watch over and accept as true with God.

I had to keep in mind that I’m a kid of God and He has a plan and goal for my existence that is probably not thwarted. Each and every element of my existence was once deliberate out ahead of I used to be born and not anything will occur in my existence that doesn’t run via God first. He’s all the time just right, and He loves me with a love I will not even fathom.

“And if God cares so splendidly for the wildflowers which might be right here as of late and thrown into the hearth the next day to come, He’s going to for sure maintain you. Why do you will have so little religion?” Matthew 6:30 NLT

I used to be lacking peace.

I used to be lacking peace in large part as a result of I used to be lacking religion. I anxious concerning the long term and agonized over my sins. The extra I attempted to keep watch over issues, the extra worry and anxiousness I skilled as a result of I couldn’t truly keep watch over any of it. The Bible talks such a lot concerning the peace of God, however for many people, it’s an untapped useful resource. The peace of God that surpasses figuring out is an unbelievable factor to have and a lovely factor to show for others. I knew it existed, however I didn’t have it!

I hinged at the “what ifs,” forgetting that not anything may ever separate me from the affection of God in Christ Jesus. It doesn’t matter what I walked via, the loving fingers of my Heavenly Father would all the time be round me. That’s what Jesus sought after His fans to know ahead of He left them. That He would all the time be with them. In each second all through all of time. Till the day He comes again for us. While you truly imagine that (religion!) you are going to have true peace.

“And lo, I’m with you all the time [remaining with you perpetually – regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the top of the age.” – Matthew 28:20 (Amplified Translation)

I used to be lacking victory.

My strongholds, setbacks, and struggles all the time gained.

We will imagine God as a result of He’s devoted. We will have peace as a result of His love is unfailing. And we will have victory as a result of Jesus overcame sin and demise. After we accept as true with in Jesus for salvation, now we have victory over the everlasting result of sin as a result of God changed our sin debt with Jesus’ righteousness. In Christ, now we have everlasting existence! So, if now we have victory over sin and demise, why would we now not even have victory over existence’s strongholds and struggles?

The enemy loves to make use of failure as a weapon. When he can persuade you that you simply’ve blown it, the remaining is straightforward. Doubt. Depression. Concern. He’s going to attempt to make you suppose it’s no large deal, however the never-ending cycles of remorseful about, repent, and repeat inform you another way. Then he’ll hammer you with excuses. You’ll be able to’t lend a hand it. You had been born this manner. It runs for your circle of relatives. And so forth. He’ll tempt you and deceive you again and again, so that you by no means acquire victory. In the meantime, the ample sources at your disposal during the Holy Spirit lie dormant when you attempt to combat within the flesh and fail over and over.

This was once me! I needed to prevent and recognize my strongholds and struggles. I had to pray earnestly for God’s lend a hand and make allowance the prompting of the Spirit to be louder than the lies of the satan. As I made one more sensible choice at a time, I began to realize floor, and I made up our minds to not let the satan knock me go into reverse.

The epiphany

Then someday as I learn the Bible, God confirmed me one thing He had informed His other folks, the Israelites, when Joshua was once on the point of deliver them into the Promised Land.

A handy guide a rough backstory unearths how an identical their adventure was once to mine. That they had been rescued from captivity in Egypt, however they had been wandering within the wilderness. A adventure that are supposed to’ve taken them lower than two weeks took just about 40 years as a result of their cussed disobedience. As an alternative of doing issues God’s method, they had been doing them their method, and issues weren’t going smartly. An entire technology ignored out at the Promised Land as a result of when they had been stored, they did not give up.

Now Joshua and the folks stood ahead of the Jordan River, nearer than they’d ever been to arriving at God’s promised vacation spot, and God had a message for them: “Consecrate yourselves, for the next day to come the Lord will do wonderful issues amongst you.” (Joshua 3:5)

After I learn those phrases, they jumped off the web page at me. Identical to the Israelites had finished once they had been within the barren region, I had turn out to be like the arena round me. I used to be mingling with the “gods” of this international somewhat than residing set aside for the One True God. However I sought after the Lord to do wonderful issues in my existence. I sought after my existence to imply one thing. I sought after to make an have an effect on and go away a legacy. And God was once telling me like He had informed His other folks all the ones years in the past that I had to make a metamorphosis. I couldn’t stay residing existence with Jesus as an adjunct. I had to take my eyes off the distractions the satan was once throwing at me and put them on my Savior. I had to prevent being a lukewarm follower of Christ and reside my existence all-in for Him. It was once time to consecrate myself and are available house to Him.

Time to head house.

I were residing just like the prodigal son who had left the protection of his father to chase the issues of this international. I hadn’t regarded as how my way of life was once affecting my dating with God. I prayed most effective when I used to be afraid or once I wanted one thing. I slightly learn my Bible. I hardly ever went to church or frolicked with other folks that enjoyed the Lord. Just like the prodigal son, I used to be satisfied that the large international had extra to supply me, and I stopped up within the pigpen.

I anxious about issues I had no keep watch over over. I looked for that means and goal. I allowed ache to poison my viewpoint. I struggled with strongholds, caught in a cycle of failure and guilt. I used to be nervous concerning the long term. Frantic was once one of the simplest ways to explain it. Even if issues had been going smartly, I attempted to determine how to ensure they stayed that method.

All of the whilst I knew there needed to be extra. I used to be a kid of God, however I used to be residing as although we had been estranged. An occasional telephone name. A periodic discuss with. Why was once I really like that? I for sure didn’t be expecting to take pleasure in just a half-hearted involvement in any of my different relationships. I knew Jesus had to be on the heart of my existence, however I didn’t know the way to get him there.

How lengthy will you like what’s nugatory and pursue a lie? – Psalm 4:2 CSB

The transformation adventure starts

Again to my God-provided epiphany. “Consecrate yourselves for the next day to come the Lord will do wonderful issues amongst you.” What did this imply for me?

Consecrate – The most productive a part of the adventure has been the give up. I noticed that little or no of my existence was once consecrated to the Lord. I used to be ingesting, smoking, short-tempered, missing self-discipline, all the time anxious, and on some round seek for the real north compass in my existence. However once I made up our minds to really give up to the paintings of the Holy Spirit, issues started to switch.

The next day – There were greater than 5,000 tomorrows since God confirmed me this verse and each one in all them has held a brand new lesson. Some little ones, some life-changing ones. Some that made me really feel like I used to be not off course. Some that made me really feel like I used to be utterly blowing it. But God’s grace and His endurance had been in each unmarried one.

Superb – To be truthful, the superb section is the adventure itself. Seeing God in each element. Having peace within the struggles, pleasure within the victories, and religion within the result. Each and every a part of my existence lived with Jesus is fantastic.

Getting into the ample existence

So much has came about in this adventure. I’ve raised kids. Stopped and began careers. Started writing. Give up smoking and ingesting. Discovered a church house. Skilled some beautiful large well being demanding situations and monetary struggles. Thru it all, the great and the dangerous, God has confirmed Himself to be devoted.

I nonetheless fight in opposition to my flesh and the enemy remains to be within the combat, however the extra I feed at the Phrase of God and concentrate on what is correct, the extra ready I’m for the fight and the faster the victories come.

My religion grows on a daily basis as I search to reside all-in for Jesus.

No longer that I’ve already received this or am already best possible, however I press directly to make it my very own, as a result of Christ Jesus had made me His personal. – Philippians 3:12 ESV

Residing existence all-in doesn’t ensure a loss of struggles, nevertheless it promises that the struggles you face shall be used for just right in God’s final goal for you. (Romans 8:28) While you give up to God’s goal in your existence, you are going to enjoy peace and pleasure via it all.