Yesterday a precious friend said this to me, "why would I start a new friendship when I got burned the last time", He said that he was happy with the friends he had and didn't want to take another chance of crashing and burning like the last time.
This translated to my heart said, I don't want to get hurt that bad again. I thought to myself about a time I said those exact words. Instead of friendship, I said I would never share my testimony ever again because I shared it with someone who was not safe and it hurt me to my core, I thought I would never recover. I could have used that pain to cut myself off and I think I actually could have kept that self-declaration and never shared my story with anyone ever again.
However, God has a very different idea about sharing ourselves with others. Whether it be as friends or sharing our journey in Christ... He calls us to share for Him not for us. He never says we won't get hurt, in fact, he says, multiple times, to guard your heart but that means against evil not to shut down your ability to further the kingdom of God out of fear or hurt.
We are called to sacrifice our wants and needs to the will of God and that includes our rights. If we make the choice to submit ourselves to God (wholly and completely), that means we have no right to choose who we share God's work in us with or who God brings to us a friends. We listen, hear God's call and just do out of obedience. We guard our hearts as not to be led astray but we trust God that He can protect us, heal our hurts and strengthen our weaknesses.
We have to look forward to what God is bringing to us and leave the past behind us. When a situation brings up past hurts or crippling pain then we have to face forward and see what God is doing in us and through us instead of getting caught in the trap of past pit dwelling. It's all about what we choose to focus on my friends. This is the only way we can go on when satan uses our past to wound us in the holy battle God calls us to fight in. Do not fail to dress in the full amour of God, our enemy knows our weakness and if given the chance... He will deeply wound us. The Good news... we have to fight the battles but the WAR IS WON!
