I know what you have been hiding. You’ve hidden it for so long because it’s the easier option. You’ve hidden it for so long because you think that it doesn’t matter and no one else really cares. You’ve hidden it for years and years because you believe you are so good at hiding it, there is no way anyone else could ever know. I mean, it’s not visible and what is unseen is unnoticed to those around you. Right?
You know there was a time in my life when I believed these things too. I believed that what was unseen was unnoticed and even worse, unvalued. In a culture where everything is focused on the external, how could the internal matter? I remember being in Uganda, Africa, on a mission trip a few years ago. It was a hot July day as the rusty, old bus my team and I used for transportation rolled up into a small, remote, village. I had never seen such broken buildings and homes. The homes these people were living in were made of dirt and mud, straw, and rock. They were the size of a closet, yet they had an entire family living in them. The land around the homes and village was barren. Dry, red, dirt patches everywhere. The clothes the people were wearing were old, dirty, ripped, and falling apart. You could tell the clothes they were wearing were the only outfits they owned. As I looked around, the word BROKEN floated through my mind. I found myself in a state of unbelief. I was sad for them because of how they had to live. Growing up in America, I had never seen anything quite like this and I felt they were lacking so much.
But, as each day passed, I noticed something that changed my perspective forever. See, I had always had the desire to go overseas and serve in a third world country, maybe you can relate? What my eyes saw and my ears heard about third world countries and how the people lived made me want to do something to make a difference. Growing up in America, I was always focusing on the external, and the external conditions in most third world countries are heartbreaking. But what God revealed to me in my time in Uganda was that even though the external conditions in these countries were heartbreaking, the majority of the people that I encountered were not heartbroken. In fact, they were actually overflowing with God’s love and light. Although their external conditions were broken, their internal conditions were whole. When we would visit villages, the people would be so full of joy and peace, despite their broken, lacking, external conditions. God revealed to me that although their external conditions were heartbreaking, their internal conditions were not. In fact, their internal conditions were much better than those living in America. They may have been lacking on the outside, but they were overflowing on the inside.
So this leads me back to my original statement. I know what you’re hiding. You are hiding your internal hurt and heartbreak because you live in a culture that doesn’t value the internal. It’s easier to hide the hurt and heartbreak you have experienced, and hope that it will eventually disappear while focusing on the external achievements and goals. It’s easier to move on than face what’s on the inside. It’s easier to pretend everything is perfect than admit that you are suffering on the inside. But when you suffer on the inside, everything else will eventually suffer too. Why? Because everything we do flows from the heart. Proverbs 4:23 NLT says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” If you don’t address the internal by taking time to heal and overcome your hurt and heartbreak you will eventually see that everything else is also suffering: your mindset, your health, your relationships, your job, your finances. When you avoid healing, the hurt and heartbreak manifests in many different ways. It grows deeper and deeper and creates more void. You may find yourself feeling worthless or not good enough or unseen or unwanted or even unloved. These feelings have manifested from the unhealed hurt and heartbreak you have experienced in your life.
I remember when I was in Uganda I was amazed that the people I encountered literally had nothing externally, but somehow they still had everything. They were full of joy, peace, and love. Now I know why, because they didn’t focus on the external as much as they focused on the internal. When they focused on the internal they were full of life, regardless of all they lacked externally. What God taught me that summer was that you can have nothing externally but have life in abundance when you live from a place of wholeness internally.
Even if the hurt and heartbreak you have experienced was because of an unfair situation or circumstance or due to a path you chose to take, unhealed hurt and heartbreak will keep you bound in chains, cycles, and generational curses. I don’t believe that God created you to live this life as a captive. In John 10:10 NIV, Jesus Says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Transformational Healing is necessary if you want to be set free, walk in wholeness, and live a life of fullness! Your story doesn’t have to end like this, God is waiting to take your story and turn it into an Only-God Story. A Story of Healing, Redemption, and Restoration. A story that starts with a New Beginning! Your Life Transformation is waiting, but will you take the first step of courage to face what is on the inside?
For more information on how to take your first step towards new beginnings and life transformation please visit https://www.amandafrey.com/ or email [email protected]
Breath of Life Speaking and Coaching exists to set the captive free! If you’re interested in working 1:1 with Amanda, check out our Coaching Page.
