The first truth you must face is about your difficult mother-in-law is that you have NO control over what she will say or do. However, you don’t have to allow her to be abusive to you or your children in any way.
Many people love the season of fall and embrace the change. Other people become more stressed and uptight when there are any changes in their life. In their struggle to go with the flow, they have a hard time seeing the gifts of joy.
We all do what we know, and we measure up to what we have come to accept as okay or “normal.” When you do not know or understand how to use Christ’s heart and character as your definition and design of love, you will use what you know.
There is a darkness around secrets that will remain until they are brought into Christ’s light. Darkness is where the devil and all evil secrets and schemes have the ability to keep you imprisoned.
I was never taught how I was deceived by my childhood thoughts, beliefs, mistakes, and life experiences concerning my value. I discovered these lies, and my self-worth began being transformed when I consistently studied God’s word. My understanding deepened as my relationship with Christ flourished. I became devoted to learning what it means to let Jesus be the originator of my value and to live like I believed him.
For most of my childhood, I tried being a “perfect little girl” so I would be noticed and loved by my parents. In my teens, I tried to fit into the clicks by partying. In my thirteen-year abusive marriage, I tried to be what my abusive ex-husband kept telling me to be. You see, I know first-hand how easy it is to be deceived into believing you are not enough. I bought the lie of the devil that I had to be what someone else wanted me to be to feel loved. What deceptions are you caught in right now?
The process of surrender is constant and requires you to be intentional. Ever present is our flesh self-will wanting to do things “our way” and in “our time.” However, our way is the opposite of trusting and surrendering to Jesus.
If you are looking for love in all the wrong places and still feeling love-starved, why not look to Jesus through a personal relationship. The only way to change the love in your life is to CHANGE what you have been doing. Transformational changes take place in the renewing your mind and heart through Christ Jesus. These changes empower you to intentionally choose your thoughts, words, attitudes, and actions to mirror his.
Unfortunately, many Christians have not been taught how to use Christ’s strength in them to help them face and overcome their problems. Jesus shows us the importance of acknowledging, examining, and the steps necessary to overcome our problems through his love, example, and scripture.
We all start out as infants using our emotions and cries to alert others to our basic needs. Some of you have never grown out of the emotional reactionary demand for what we desire, want, or need, especially if people have always given into you. You may think you have control over others but in the end, you are an emotional mess. The truth is, your emotions have made a slave of you. The good news is, you can learn a new empowering mindset and behavior to free yourself from using your out-of-control emotional reactions.
