36 – Jodi - “I have negative thoughts, feel dirty, and cannot retain what I read in the Bible”
“I have negative thoughts. I feel dirty and cannot retain what I read in the Bible”
Breaking Free: Finding Freedom from Shame, Guilt, and Darkness
Are you trapped in a cycle of shame, guilt, and darkness, like Jodi, in today’s recording? Do you find solace only in temporary escapes, only to be met with renewed feelings of condemnation? The enemy wants you to believe you're stuck, that God's promises are not for you. He whispers lies, aiming to steal your peace and destroy your hope. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy," Jesus warns in John 10:10. But take heart, dear friend, for there is a way out.
The first step towards freedom is recognizing the root of the problem. Often, it's unforgiveness, especially unforgiveness towards ourselves. Just as the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18:21-35 was tormented for withholding forgiveness, we too can experience torment when we refuse to forgive ourselves. God has already forgiven you through Christ's sacrifice. It's time to extend that same grace to yourself.
Secondly, understand that the negative thoughts plaguing you are often a result of spiritual warfare. "My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he can release my feet from the snare," the Psalmist cries in Psalm 25:15. You are caught in a snare, but God can set you free. He longs to break the chains of torment and replace them with peace that surpasses all understanding.
This freedom, however, is not passive. It requires action on your part. "But only he who does the will of my Father in heaven," Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:21, will enter the kingdom of heaven. A clean heart comes not from our own efforts, but from obeying the word of Christ, as Peter explains: "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth" (1 Peter 1:22).
This obedience is walking in the light. "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Walking in the light means aligning your thoughts, attitudes, and actions with God's word. It means choosing to believe His promises and acting on that belief.
To the praise of God, Jodi, eventually found freedom by forgiving herself and choosing to walk in the light, and so can you. It's a choice, a decision to believe that "if God did it for me and for millions of people before me, God will do it for you." Step into the promised land of freedom. It's yours to have.
