“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” Pslam 51:10-12

The things that we release will have to be replaced.

The question is what are we replacing them with? A negative plus a positive is still a negative. Releasing a bad habit to pick up another one only creates more. Releasing something toxic but to only replace it with more toxicity will leave you with more damage. The more we can eliminate the negatives in our life and replace them with positive ones will put us on a path to wholeness.

In my own life because I didn’t know who I was and whose I was in an effort to fill those voids I did so with the wrong things and the wrong people which caused me to normalize my dysfunction.

The older I become the more I have tried to create a place of peace. Anything that disturbs that place of peace can create a toxic environment. Making sure that I pay attention to those trigger points and red flags. That discernment or gut feelings is real. I also realize that there are things within me that may have caused me to be toxic to other people.

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in good health, even a thy soul prospereth” 3 John 2

When hearing this scripture I have mostly heard it being referenced to prospering in materialistic things or acquiring materialistic gain. God wants us to be whole in every aspect of our life and to learn how to have balance so that we are able to maintain it. Our character, our business, at work, in our resources, our health and our relationships. Growing up I was taught to focus on the spiritual aspects of my life which caused me to be religious in my thinking, judgmental and unbalanced.

In the midst of this pandemic God has me in a place of restoration, healing and is setting me free from things that has held me in bondage due to unresolved trauma, normalized behaviors that created unhealthy habits, unhealthy behaviors and life styles. I have asked God to reveal the sources and now I am doing the necessary work to become a better version of myself. We can not truly prosper if we are physically, emotionally, and mentally sick.

It takes more energy to hang on than to let go of the things that are doing more harm to us

Sometimes in our effort to move on if we don’t take the time to heal from what has happened it can cause further damage. In order for us to start to properly heal we must:

1. Assess the damage that has been done. Not acknowledging or avoiding what has happened will cause you to internalize your pain. Be honest how you are feeling.

2. Deal with what has happened. Allow yourself the time to properly grieve. Find away to allow yourself to be vulnerable and release what you are feeling in a healthy way.

3. Resolve any unresolved issues within ourselves. Take a moment to self reflect. Take ownership of anything that you may have done. Make sure to not only forgive others but to forgive yourself as well. Get rid of any anger, resentment or bitterness that may hold you back from moving forward.

” Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice” Ephesians 4:31

I can not do this in my own strength. I have to allow God to create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within. I have to continue to lay down my life daily so he can complete the work in me. With out God’s help it will be a losing battle.

There is a false perception that God will do it all. It is true that God can do anything but he won’t do them without our participation. It is going to take more than just our shout and our prayers. Our unwillingness to do what is necessary to change, heal FOR REAL and evolve will keep us in bondage. “Faith without works is dead” James 2:26

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