Freedom for Ladies: A Journey to Freedom in Christ预览

The Wound of Rejection

Today’s story is my own story. My parents were wonderful Christians, but they were always working, and this caused a wound of neglect and rejection in my life early on. I struggled with paralyzing fear that made me shy and hesitant to speak; I hid behind my bed until 6th grade. In high school, I tried out for cheer leading with 11 other girls. Nine were chosen, but I wasn’t—another wound of rejection.

I met Jesus in 9th grade, but I used my faith (along with humor) as another way to hide. By age 35, I was married with kids, but I was a mess inside. Thanks be to God, He started to expose my heart, and as I began to repent and replace, it brought so much freedom. Psalm 34:8 came alive in me: Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

As I changed, my family began to see it. My friends started to ask me to help them too, and a passion grew in me to see Jesus set others free. I began to understand John 8:36: So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. It birthed a calling in me to help women and children to walk freely in their God-given DNA. God gave me a fruitful voice for His glory.

God wants to heal us and replace any bad fruit with His wholesome, biblical fruit. The wound of rejection has many characteristics. Ask the Holy Spirit if you have any of these in your life:

• Ingratitude and a discontented spirit
• Low self-esteem and deep self-hatred
• Self-exaltation, always needing praise or a pat on the back
• Excessive emotions (intense anger or drama)
• Rejection of others, not letting love in
• Trying to fill the empty space with relationships or accomplishments, when only Jesus can satisfy your heart

The way to break the spirit of rejection:

• Receive Jesus Christ as your personal savior. Ask Him to forgive your sins. 
• Let the love of God fill you up to overflowing.
• Repent. (We learned to repent and replace with the things of God on Day 4.)
• Put your name in today’s Scriptures to break the power of rejection and replace it with the love of God.

Pray:

Lord, fill me up to overflowing with Your love, so that it overflows to everyone I come in contact with. Satisfy me with Your love, so I have no need to turn to anything else but You. Lord, heal all the broken places in me with Your love. 

Be Still:

Ask the Lord for guidance, then make a list (or even draw a tree) and write in the negative fruit you’ve picked up along the way in life. Then repent and replace: Add what you will replace the negative fruit with. Repent of the unwholesome fruit you picked up and ask God to replace it with the good fruit of the Spirit.