Breaking the Patterns That Break YouSample

My thought pattern used to tell me that I was going to hurt others the way I had been hurt. There was something detrimentally wrong with me, and no matter what, I assumed I would inevitably become like my abusers.

But here’s the thing. When we embrace that God is our true Father, we begin to see that we are not merely reflections of the ones who created us on earth. Rather, we are reflections of him. When we are aware of God as our Father, we become aware that we no longer receive the inheritances of the people who simply gave us our genetics and name. We actually have an inheritance in God, our Father, who makes us reflections of him. Scripture says he even makes us new and gives us new names. When we are aware of him, we do not have to be so meticulously aware of ourselves, putting all the burden of change and healing on our own understanding and personal work. When we are aware of him, we start to see who he is, who we are through him, and how he heals us.

Might I invite you to pray a simple prayer? Father, I belong to you.*

May these words remind you of the inheritance available to you, of the gift you hold—and may this good news carry you even when bad memories and intrusive thoughts want to steal what you have. They cannot. And remember that all this—mental health struggles, sad thoughts, anxiety—does not make us crazy. It simply makes us human.

* Brennan Manning, The Furious Longing of God (David C. Cook, 2009), 46.

Prayer

Father, I belong to you, and I am so grateful that I am yours. Thank you for carrying me through difficult times. Amen.