I remember when I had a “growing pain” moment a few years ago. My dad came by the house to see how I was doing and it was hard for me to admit that I was in need. I needed gas money for the week and didn’t really want to ask him for that, but eventually I told him about it. My dad told me: “I like it when you ask me to help you, you’re my daughter.” What he said resonated with me at that moment; I had to lower my pride and go to him for help. Is God saying that same message to you?
In this singleness season, we will go through some growing, learning, and heart-tugging situations. One of the most humbling experiences that singles can face is when you go through a breakup. Besides the hurt, anger and range of emotions that many of us feel, we may get that realization that we shouldn’t have pursued that relationship in the first place. I’ve been there, having gone back to an ex after God clearly told me that that guy wasn’t my husband. After the relationship failed again I was more hurt that I had not listened to God and followed my fickle emotions instead.
I had to admit to myself and God that I was wrong and asked Him to remove any pride that would try to replace His direction for me. Talk about growing pains. When you ask for something in the will of God, He will make sure it happens, though it won’t always be comfortable for you. Let God come into your heart when it’s broken and break you free from any ties and ungodly connections to people and relationships that weren’t meant to be or hurt you more than helped you.
Psalm 124:7 reads:
“Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.” or in NLT: “We escaped like a bird from a hunter’s trap. The trap is broken, and we are free!”
Remember that Satan desires to hunt us down and kill our joy, spirit and very being because we belong to God. This can happen when we let growing pains, breakups or bad relationships keep us in a state of shame, pride and other emotions that hinder us from going to God for help. Those emotions and mindsets can silence you from praying and seeking out help from others who have your best interest at heart. The more you are in those negative feelings, the worse off you will be. The beauty of the Psalm 124 scripture is that it declares that we are free from the trap of the hunter, able to fly in freedom the way God intended for us to be.
We are freed from our past, mistakes and sin. God is our helper and His mercy and love saved us from being consumed by the enemy and from facing a tragic ending. Don’t stay in these post-breakup emotions long. Mourn and move forward knowing that God has brought you out of something to better you, even though it may not look like that right now.
If you were abused, misused, rejected, overlooked, remember that you are still here. You are a survivor and God will renew you since He brought you out of the snares. Broken emotionally, maybe even physically, we can’t let our pride keep us from communicating with God and asking for His help. This is similar to what we hear about unbelievers thinking that they have to get themselves together before they get saved. If that was the case, we wouldn’t need Jesus to clean us up; something to think about post-Easter season.
There should be no shame in getting help. We gotta come to the Father even when we’re at our worst, in our state of wrong, and allow God to restore us to our rightful place by His will and power, not our own.