conversation he questioned them, asking if they really would make him their leader. But because he had never dealt with the pain of his past relationship with them and still longed for their acceptance and approval, he ignored what he had learned through years of harsh treatment and went with them. He allowed them to use him, even though he had no reason to believe they had changed their minds about him.
I am aware that some people do change and improve over time. Some realize they have not respected or treated you well in the past. Those people apologize sincerely for what they have done to you and express genuine desire to build a healthy relationship with you in the future. People who really do mature and feel badly about their past attitudes and actions toward you are happy to prove their change of heart.
Anytime someone from your past comes back into your life and wants what you have instead of who you are , beware. The test of knowing what to do when your brothers come back is real and happens far too often. I remember vividly how certain people from my past once ridiculed and marginalized me. There was a time in my past when I did not have much—except dreams and goals. Certain people did not accept me and even went so as far as to tell me that my dreams would never happen and my goals were too far-fetched. I strongly desired relationships with several of these people, but in their eyes I did not fit in, so they rejected me.
I was forced to move on, and much as He did for Jephthah, God brought me to my “good” place. I am fortunate to have a great wife and family and to lead a large, thriving ministry. But what’s funny and sad is, since God has established those things in my life, many of the people who rejected me earlier in life now want to be my friends. They rejected me before, when all I had were goals anddreams, but now that those dreams have become tangible realities, they want to reenter my life.
Maybe you have had a similar experience with people who once ignored or rejected you. When you sense that someone wants your resources, your connections, your abilities, or your influence, put your defenses up and require those people to demonstrate their honorable intentions. If you are one of the millions of people who have had a painful past and then God takes you into a good place, guard it. Do not leave it because people who have never been trustworthy come calling for you. Take the necessary steps to get your heart healed and whole so the wounds of your past do not bind you to the detrimental people of your past. Otherwise, like Jephthah’s, your past may have such a tight grip on you that you return to it and end up paying a tragic price.
God has something good for you. Your past does not define you. It’s time to remember who you are. Regardless of what you have suffered in days or years gone by, no matter what you have done or what has been done to you, a bright future is available. As you trust Him completely and follow Him wholeheartedly, God will lead you into places, opportunities, and relationships that will heal you and set you free from your past, strengthen and restore you in the present, and set you up for tremendous blessings in the future.
RELATIONSHIP REMINDERS
• Remember who you are.
• You cannot erase your past. It will always be part of your personal history, but it does not have to define you.
• To fully embrace the great future God has for you, you must let go of the pain of your past.
• Suppressing the pain of past relationships can damage your present and sabotage potential relationships in your future.
• God has great things for you, but at times those blessings may not be obvious. Be on the lookout for blessings in disguise.
• When people from your past resurface in your life, take time to find out if they are interested in who you are or only in what you can offer them.
• Actively believe that God has good things in store for you.
RAISING YOUR RELATIONAL
I am aware that some people do change and improve over time. Some realize they have not respected or treated you well in the past. Those people apologize sincerely for what they have done to you and express genuine desire to build a healthy relationship with you in the future. People who really do mature and feel badly about their past attitudes and actions toward you are happy to prove their change of heart.
Anytime someone from your past comes back into your life and wants what you have instead of who you are , beware. The test of knowing what to do when your brothers come back is real and happens far too often. I remember vividly how certain people from my past once ridiculed and marginalized me. There was a time in my past when I did not have much—except dreams and goals. Certain people did not accept me and even went so as far as to tell me that my dreams would never happen and my goals were too far-fetched. I strongly desired relationships with several of these people, but in their eyes I did not fit in, so they rejected me.
I was forced to move on, and much as He did for Jephthah, God brought me to my “good” place. I am fortunate to have a great wife and family and to lead a large, thriving ministry. But what’s funny and sad is, since God has established those things in my life, many of the people who rejected me earlier in life now want to be my friends. They rejected me before, when all I had were goals anddreams, but now that those dreams have become tangible realities, they want to reenter my life.
Maybe you have had a similar experience with people who once ignored or rejected you. When you sense that someone wants your resources, your connections, your abilities, or your influence, put your defenses up and require those people to demonstrate their honorable intentions. If you are one of the millions of people who have had a painful past and then God takes you into a good place, guard it. Do not leave it because people who have never been trustworthy come calling for you. Take the necessary steps to get your heart healed and whole so the wounds of your past do not bind you to the detrimental people of your past. Otherwise, like Jephthah’s, your past may have such a tight grip on you that you return to it and end up paying a tragic price.
God has something good for you. Your past does not define you. It’s time to remember who you are. Regardless of what you have suffered in days or years gone by, no matter what you have done or what has been done to you, a bright future is available. As you trust Him completely and follow Him wholeheartedly, God will lead you into places, opportunities, and relationships that will heal you and set you free from your past, strengthen and restore you in the present, and set you up for tremendous blessings in the future.
RELATIONSHIP REMINDERS
• Remember who you are.
• You cannot erase your past. It will always be part of your personal history, but it does not have to define you.
• To fully embrace the great future God has for you, you must let go of the pain of your past.
• Suppressing the pain of past relationships can damage your present and sabotage potential relationships in your future.
• God has great things for you, but at times those blessings may not be obvious. Be on the lookout for blessings in disguise.
• When people from your past resurface in your life, take time to find out if they are interested in who you are or only in what you can offer them.
• Actively believe that God has good things in store for you.
RAISING YOUR RELATIONAL
Similar Books
![Knight, Kayla - Her Long Hot Surrender [Raw Texas Heat 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)](https://fs.ageofbook.com/598849/thumbs/152x264/knight-kayla-her-long-hot-surrender-raw-texas-heat-3-siren-publishing-menage-everlasting.jpg)
