What residue from past hurts are influencing your thoughts or moods?

Do you still have insecurities about failed relationships, feelings of worthlessness, feeling neglected or unloved? Sometimes we feel that things are going good, and it takes one thing to send us in a downward spiral or emotional unrest. 

I believe that we go through different levels or phases in our spiritual growth to mature us and to help us gain wisdom and understanding on how we should examine ourselves daily.  Just like we go every three months to  six months to the doctor to maintain our physical health, we need to also conduct a mental, emotional, and spiritual check-up to see where we may need help. We may need a dose of encouragement to help us when we struggle with feelings of insecurities. We may need a shot of faith to help us in our feelings of trusting others or the lack of trust in different relationships, or a dose of truth, because we need an attitude adjustment.  It's in times of trials or testing that help develop our spiritual growth and equips us to handle even greater challenges.

James 1:2-4 Consider it a great joy my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. 

As we grow in our christian walk there will come times of uncertainty, just remember that it's to develop your faith in the Lord.

During times of uncertainty we have to have to be open to learn the lesson being taught. You have to be able to examine the reasons of the trial or why this residue of hurt has raised it's ugly head. Is it to show you that there is still damage lingering inside of you; is it still more healing that needs to be cleared up in order for the Lord to use you to the capacity he wants?

How can you minister from a place of brokenness? Are you teaching from a place of healed or from a place of anger, despair, pain and bitterness? What are the people receiving from you?

The residue from past failures can cause you to affect people in a negative way. Every action that we take has an equal consequence. Think about a woman who has been abused all of her life, she never gets the help she needs to conquer her pain, and she just goes on as if nothing happened, until one day she experiences something that causes her to relive parts of the abuse, what happens is she had residue that never cleared, and it caused her to do harm to an innocent person. Did she have malice in her heart, No, it was a trigger.  The damage however is done.  The residue from past hurts can effect us well into our future, and it can keep us bound to the point of not reaching our maximum potential in Christ.

 It's very important to study the word of the Lord for yourself, communicate in prayer, tell the Lord about your troubles, and confess those deep down hurts or issues to him. He is a healer and deliverer.  Don't allow the residue to place you in a box that you've already left, it's just the enemy's way of keeping you from your destiny in Christ Jesus.

Whatever the reasoning for your trial or moments of uncertainty think about these steps:

1. No matter how much we know and understand, be open to learn about God's ways and apply them.
2.  We must diligently search for Godly wisdom in all things
3. Allow his word to penentrate our innermost being, in order to transform us.
4. Live a life according to God's will to be in right standing with him
5. We are to be witness's for Christ in the world without conforming to it
6. If we profess christianity our attitudes and actions should imitate Christ in all our relationships.
7. Demonstrate humility
8. Meditate on the word of the Lord to discover God's will for your life

If you can focus on those few things during the times of uncertainty it will help you gain clarity and heal those areas to remove the residue