What’s in Your Grip?
When life is chaotic and out of control, we have a tendency to hold on to areas of our life that are detrimental to our well-being. We hold onto:
LABELS
Labels become badges of negativity: ugly, fat, dumb, too sensitive, uncooperative, no talent or abilities, unlovable, reject, etc.
ANXIETY AND WORRY
Racing thoughts compounded by the “what if’s” increases anxiety and worry. We become so accustom to the chaos and trouble that peace and rest are absent.
Scripture reassures us. “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:31-34 NIV
ANGER
Holding on to anger leads to bitterness and unforgiveness. This keeps us in bondage to our circumstances and can lead to vengeance. Since anger is a feeling, learning constructive ways to release it is critical.
SHAME
We compare ourselves to others who seem to have it altogether pointing out our failures and judging ourselves harshly. We long to be all that God created us to be and to experience His grace, but we have become stagnant in our perceptions telling ourselves we are not worthy of anything.
REGRETS
Have you ever played the game of “I should have”, “If only”, or “I could have?” We call these regrets. We keep ourselves in the pit of despair and self-condemnation playing the movie of “What might have been”. We call this fiction. It never existed. Past actions and words can’t be changed. They are history, yet we hold onto them as if our very lives depended on them creating our own fantasy world.
OFFENSES
The wrongs that have been done to us keeps its grip on us as we replay the incidents in our mind seeing the lack of fairness and justice. Those offenses begin to control our lives and become a filtering system for future situations. Revenge may become our mode of reaction and anger rules our feelings.
FEAR
- Fear of making the wrong decision
- Fear of the future
- Fear of failing
- Fear of rejection
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of learning something new
PAIN and HURTS
We play the victim role drawing others in to get attention. Most of us hold onto pain and hurts because it is so difficult to face realities about ourselves and our circumstances.
When we face these realities, it requires us to make necessary changes. Sometimes these changes are difficult because our lives become a whole lot worse before it gets better. It is much like having surgery to get rid of something that is harmful for your body. There is pain because of the surgery, yet in the future the pain will go away and the result will be the saving of your life.
TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS
These are relationships that destroy who we are. It keeps us in constant turmoil trying to figure out how to fix the problem so there will be peace. It could be a spouse, dating relationship, a parent, our own child, a sibling, or a friend. There are questions we need to ask ourselves when we cling to toxic relationships.
- Ask yourself why you are holding on to them?
- Are you getting your identity from them?
- If you let them go, would your lifestyle that you are used to change?
- What is the need within you that drives you to continue to try to have a relationship with them?
- Are there fears of failure?
Everything we hold onto becomes our filtering system for our perceptions of current relationships and situations. We assume and judge people’s actions according to our experiences. It may be difficult to maintain relationships because we put on a mask to hide what is inside. This prevents others from getting to know the true you. Authenticity is difficult.
Are we willing to let go and move forward on the healing journey? In letting go, we leave room in our heart to hold onto Jesus, our healer and hope.
“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16
By Paula Silva
© 2010 FOCUS Newsletter, FOCUS Ministries, Inc., www.focusministries1.org
The toxic relationship that has exsisted between myself and my ex for over 15 years. I’ve tried very hard to move past the hurt, shame and bitterness that I feel towards him. We share 3 amazing growing sons and now I see the effects of the abuse on them. It’s painful to watch the manipulation going on with my children to get to me. It feels as though I’m being abused all over again. The pain runs deep like a knife and at times my heart cannot bear anymore. Even when you get out of the abusive relationship, the cancer still tries to steal the remnant of what remains as your family. Sometimes you feel depleted at others full of hope.
However God is always there in the most ugly of state we are in
He is there…waiting..watching…loving. He is there.
What you have described shows the long lasting effects of toxic relationships. When your children eventually grow up, you will have less communication with their father which will help with the healing process of your heart.
I gave my heart to Jesus Christ who is the bishop of my soul and the author and finisher of my faith
The worldly man who became my husband before I knew Jesus was sent from Satan to try to rob my Joy and my peace. Since I am a bride of Christ and He had crowned me with His Glory and Honor I press in for His high calling fore that which concerns me He shall perfect laying down all my bitteroot and unforgiveness as His joy is my strengh looking unto Him Through zhis wisdom knowledge and revelation of perfected love by the power of the Holy Spirit speaking unto my mountains fear to be thou removed fore we overcame it by the Blood of The Lamb and the mouth of our testimony laying down all vain imaginations of doubt despair and doom like the example of David who was small in stature not even value by his family but, look what God declared over David to do in bringing down the gigant that no other army could destroybut by the Word of the Lord God of Abraham was told to through a rock as God told Him to throw with Gods Word as he thrusted the rock David yell out “Bel a peri zem “ meaning Lord God over your breakthrough” as the giant was defeated and fell to the ground David was able to pick up the giants double edged sword and remove the giants head by the enemys own sword. Fore no weapon formed against us will prosper. God always makes a way out not by might or power but by His Holy Spirit. Let our yes be yes and no be no not letting any any inner vows of never or always not said so the enemy cannot bind up our hearts from what God has planned for us no matter in what we see or hear letting not our hearts condemn us because of meditating on the old things which pass away everyday and all things become new casting our cares upon Jesus Christ fore He receives great joy in prospering continually : Jesus Christ is Lord over our lives expect His victory. Selah Bel a per i Zim He is our breakthrough stand on His Word He is the thrusting Rock Of Our Redemption. Amen Jesus Christ is Lord