Recently in a discussion with a close friend of mine he expounded on his childhood pastor.  He stated how much he admired and respected him. This man of God was like no one he had ever met. He spent time with the youth. He took them places. He played games with them. He made serving God fun.

Then one day while on an excursion with the Pastor something happened. The young man requested permission to do something and was granted that permission. He went off to do what he had been granted only to return and realize he had been left to walk home alone. He had no clue as to why he was left when he had been granted permission. It was a long walk home. With every step the admiration and respect eroded. Unfortunately, the pastor never acknowledged, explained or asked for the young man's forgiveness. Even more unfortunate, the young man allowed the cancerous feelings towards the pastor to fester and grow.

We have to be careful when God has placed others in our lives not to offend. When we do so, we have to be willing to go to that person (especially a child) and ask for forgiveness. You see, we don't know the greatness that lies within them. As leaders we have a responsibility to nurture them. It is a travesty the number of gifts and talents that are not being utilized because someone destroyed the seed before it could truly take root. It is as though you have snatched their future away from them.

It is also a travesty that there are so many people meandering through life in search of God's glory light because they were wounded. Oftentimes these wounds take place at an early age and are buried in the crevices of our soul and mind. Unbeknownst to us, these wounds still causes the pain and anguish they did initially. Howbeit more sublimely because they are masked and deceive us into thinking that it no longer plays an integral part in our maturation process. This deception follows us throughout life and can prevent us from discovering our true purpose and following the road to our destiny.

In order to overcome the debilitating effects of the wound, you have to be willing to go back to the place when it all started. You have to be willing to be honest with yourself and to allow God to show you how it has adversely impacted you. Yet, in doing so, God in turn begins the healing process as He also reveals to you who He created you to be.

You see, if we don't the incident will have an adverse effect on us. It may elude you why you are meandering without focus. It may elude you why you are not using your God given talents and gifts. It may elude you why it seems that you are in a vicious cycle and can't seem to even operate in those areas where you once was confident in doing so. It may elude you why your marriage doesn't work and you have difficulty with other relationships.

Wounds are encapsulated in fear. The longer you go without addressing the issue the more the fear mounts. It is in this process where the very things that you love to do you find yourself unable to do them. Now some may think that these are the derelicts that we ride or walk by everyday as though we don't see them. Yes, they are the extreme cases in our society.

However, there are those of us who are the walking wounded. We are the ones who appear to be all right when in actuality we are not. Many are in leadership roles and inflicting that same pain on others. Just like that pastor did to that young man because of his own unresolved conflicts and pain. Unable to reach back and ask for forgiveness of the young man, the wounded is left to fiend for himself.

There comes a time when you look at the very thing or person that has caused you pain and say, "No more."  You scream these words as loudly as you can in order to obliterate the tactics of the enemy. You no longer allow those incidents and people of your past to hold you in bondage from realizing the abundant life God has for you.

Copyright � 2011. All Rights Reserved.
Jacqui A. Showers., The Showers Group Ministries
 

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