Don't Waste Your Pain by Godman AkinlabiSample

Not a Victim, but a Victor! 

If you have ever committed a crime or some glaring sin, like David, who is probably the most popular murderer and adulterer in the Bible, it is probably an experience that you want to forget. The hard truth though, is that covering up that experience is a waste. While it takes courage to air your laundry, remember that your laundry is now clean! It has been washed by the blood of the lamb. You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. If the devil tries to tell you otherwise, remind him of where he’s going to have his final painful experience, in the lake of fire. 

Many times, we want to appear perfect before our peers or friends. First, you are fooling no one. Nobody is perfect. Second, if your friends cannot accept your past, present, and future, you are hanging with the wrong crowd. The very experiences that you have resented and regretted most in life, the ones that you have wanted to hide and forget, are the experiences God wants to use to help others. If God healed you in the face of a medical death sentence, then you are in the best position to help other people develop their faith in the area of divine healing. If your marriage was on the brink of disaster and God repaired your union, God can use you to help restore others. If you are a single parent, you can strengthen other single parents and show them how to live in the grace, strength, and joy of the Lord. Whatever it is that may have caused you pain, don’t cower in shame or self-pity; open your heart to God and let Him heal and strengthen you. God can use your mistakes to help others. Once you honestly admit your faults, failures and fears, and receive God’s forgiveness, you move from being a victim to a victor. The truth is that ministry is not about your strength; it is about God showing up strong in your weakness. 

Tell your testimonies with confidence. Your past does not define you; God does. He says your path shines brighter and brighter unto a perfect day. Your past is merely a landmark on your path of significance. A landmark is a feature that is easily recognizable even from a distance. People look out for landmarks when they want to get to their desired destinations, as landmarks help to ensure that they do not lose their way. If God has blessed you with certain landmark experiences, consider them blessings and investments into your destiny. God is ensuring that you will not lose your way and that your life will be a testament for others to follow. Don’t waste your pain!