God has Something Better for You.

“GOD HAS SOMETHING BETTER FOR YOU” when JP said that last Tuesday I wanted to yell AMEN so badly! Last week I share that I went through a divorce almost three years ago, but the worst part came immediately after when my life spun out of control. I tried to go to church, but as soon as the first song would start to play I could feel the tears coming so I’d leave. It became much easier to be around people that “just didn’t care”, than to deal with the pain I was feeling.

I started drinking “until I didn’t feel feelings” as we would say, which at the time was about 4 days out of the week. I’d drink at least one happy hour a week, for sure one weekend night, and always Sunday Funday (never church). There are many nights I drove home drunk, and some nights I honestly don’t remember. I said and did things I still wish I could take back, and spent more money than I'd like to think about. I surrounded myself with people that encouraged this behavior and routine. My "friends" and I thought we were so cool with our bottle service and our names on every list, even though the only people that REALLY viewed us that way were ourselves.

JP shared Galatians 5 and I encourage you all to read back through it. In verse 19 it uses the word debauchery, it reminded me during that time I had FB status updates and photo albums called “Drunken Debauchery”, and I remember thinking that was so funny and I was really "living the good life". I had no idea that the word was even used in the Bible. Read below…

Galatians 5: 19-21 says: The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and DEBAUCHERY; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; DRUNKENESS, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

I was living the "good life", but was NOT living the ABUNDANT LIFE here or going to inherit the KINGDOM OF GOD. The truth is I was hiding from a lot of pain, and I was causing myself more and more pain as time went on. Those friends didn’t want the best for me, they wanted me to help them “not feel feelings” too so that they wouldn’t feel guilty.

PRAISE GOD, the story doesn’t end there. I finally broke down and surrendered to Christ when I moved to Dallas and started coming to the Porch. I couldn’t do it anymore. I was completely broken and in desperate need of a savior…JESUS.

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on JESUS, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Since I have fixed my eyes on JESUS life has been incredible! Even when times are tough, or things don’t go quite as I had planned, like Todd said this weekend, I CAN SING! Now I like to “feel feelings” because now I feel the peace, love, hope, grace, and mercy that has come from a relationship with Jesus Christ, and NO ONE or ANYTHING can take that away from me. I have true friends that hold me accountable and TRULY want was best for me. Jesus has set me free!

What feelings do you hide from? What are you afraid of? What is keeping you from the, not just good, but ABUNDANT LIFE found in knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

Praying for you all~

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