Limitless Life: Chapter 5

“People are made to be loved and things are made to be used. The confusion in this world is that people are being used and things are being loved.”   Unknown

The label considered in this chapter is damaged goods. Derwin Gray writes, “People may have given up on you but as long as you have breath Jesus will not give up on you. The skeletons in your closet do not scare Him.”

“Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found was blind but now I see.” This song has always had a special place in my heart. Grace and Mercy are attributes that describe God. He extends to us His grace and His mercy.

Feelings of hate for my husband consumed me when I was in nursing school. Returning to school as an adult gave me an avenue of escape from a marriage I had deemed was not repairable. While is school, I had two goals: to graduate and to divorce my husband. While in school, I wrote a paper about a belief. My belief was that marriage was like a prison sentence. During this season of my life, I distance myself from God. You see we had tried counseling, promises were made and broken. I felt like God had not answered my countless prayers. Anger fueled many of my choices and I made choices based on being disillusioned. Choices that distanced me further from God.

I graduated in May of 1989, my husband and I separated. My choices haunted me and I felt worthless, hopeless and helpless. Psalm 103:12 says that God forgives sins as far as the east is from the west, and I believed this verse for you but not for me. Proverbs 16:9, “The mind of man plans his way but the Lord directs his steps.” Despite of my anger and the hate, we reconciled our marriage later in 1989. I rededicated my life to the Lord and pledged that I would make my marriage work.

Over the next few years, I saw myself as damaged goods. It is amazing  that our marriage survived. Our marriage was healed by God in 1995. The process began after I attended a seminar for Freedom in Christ  and I prayed with three women teaching me the principles of being free in Christ.  We will celebrate forty-four years of marriage in July. Remember, God directs our path, when we choose to listen to his voice. Isaiah 30:21, “And your ears will hear a word behind you, this is the way, walk in it. Whenever you turn to the right or to the left.”

Derwin Gray writes, “God is not intimidated by our damaged-ness. As a matter of fact, he is attracted to broken, damaged lives.” In Ezekiel 11:19, God removed my heart of stone and gave me a trophy of grace heart.

Ephesians 2:7-9, God shows us grace through Jesus Christ. This is my gift. I was saved by grace. How about you? Have you asked Jesus to be your savior, have you decided to follow Jesus? If you have never accepted Jesus, please contact me, I would love to pray with you.

What choices have you made that have you doubting God’s love?

How do you look at yourself, damaged or a trophy of grace?

Feeling of worthlessness and hopelessness plagued me, what feelings do you need to give to God?

“People are made to be loved and things are made to be used.” Are you confused in this area?  Is there a person needing your love? What things are consuming you?

Father God, you are a God of Grace. You are not intimidated by the messes in our lives. You removed my heart of stone. You revived my life, restored my marriage. Today, I run to you as your daughter, you see me through Jesus’ righteousness. I am no longer a slave to feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness because of your grace. I am no longer condemned, I am free. Father God, for the woman reading this prayer, meet her like Jesus met the Samaritan woman. As Jesus removed the Samaritan woman’s heart of disbelief, renewed her mind, and regenerated her I ask that you revitalize her with your love. In 2^nd Timothy 2:7, you did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and discipline. The woman at the well left her shame and guilt, let this woman trust that you love her unconditionally that she is no longer guilty or shameful. She is your daughter, a trophy of grace. Blessings, Diana