VL-Issue 44- July 22

STEPPING FORWARD
issues from those around us, there is no
hiding from the One who loves us the most.
God knew us first, and He knows us best. In
Jeremiah 1:5, He tells us, “I knew you before
No matter how hard
we try to hide our
issues from those
around us, there is no
hiding from the One
who loves us the most.
DECLUTTER
YOUR HEART
WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL, I had an
old wooden chest where I stored my favorite
toys and treasures. I loved collecting
things, but I also loved holding on to them,
sometimes for way too long.
As the chest got full, many items got
crushed. Soon the chest would overflow,
and my room would become cluttered.
Then my mother would make me go
through the chest and get rid of stuff. I
resisted at first until I realized that made
room for exciting new items.
This cycle became a familiar pattern
throughout my childhood. To this day, I
still hold on to things too long. And not
only things but emotions too, and that
is an unhealthy habit. I often hoard and
suppress my feelings. When I do, my heart
becomes crowded, and, like that old chest, I
feel crushed on the inside, especially when
what I am holding on to is unpleasant. The
clutter within can be mentally and emotionally
overwhelming.
The more upset I am about a subject,
the harder it is to open up and share
my feelings or any details of that strug-
BY CARLA OWENS WITH
CHRISTINA KIMBREL
gle. When friends ask how I’m doing, I
muster the most cheerful and confident
voice I can find and defer to the age-old
nonresponse, “I’m fine!” That answer is
usually the furthest thing from the truth,
but I feel compelled to hold tightly to whatever
is troubling me.
I’m sure you can relate. Most of us don’t
like to share the details of our lives with
others, not even our closest friends. Instead,
we keep the issue bottled up inside.
There are many reasons we do this, each
unique to the situation and the persons
involved. We fear being misunderstood,
rejected, judged, or worse. And so we isolate
ourselves and our issues from others.
I am so thankful that even though we
sometimes feel alone in our struggles, we
are not. There is always Someone we can
turn to for comfort—and that’s our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ. The Bible promises
that He is the only One we need in times of
trouble (Psalm 46:1; Psalm 91). First Peter
5:7 says we can “give all [our] worries and
cares to God, for he cares about [us]” (NLT).
No matter how hard we try to hide our
I formed you in your mother’s womb”
(NLT). God knows our innermost thoughts
and hurts, and He wants to comfort us.
Second Corinthians 1:3–4 states, “God
is our merciful Father and the source of all
comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles
so that we can comfort others. When they
are troubled, we will be able to give them
the same comfort God has given us” (NLT).
Tears often stream from my eyes when
I face difficulties, but I am grateful for the
reassurance in Romans 8:26 that He knows
our hearts even when we don’t have the
words to speak. Psalm 56:8 tells us that
God keeps track of our sorrows. He collects
our tears in a bottle and records each
one in His book. He knows, and He loves
us despite the trials. Even the ones we’ve
brought on ourselves.
No matter what you’re facing, you can
find comfort in knowing that the One
who knows you best is the same One who
will support you in your most vulnerable
moments. Invite Jesus into your life. Open
your overflowing storage chest and release
your pain and worries, your fears and tears
to the One you can fully trust.
He’ll take your burdens and give you the
peace you need to declutter your heart and
mind. And you’ll be freed up to receive His
beautiful blessings.
CARLA OWENS loves the Lord and seeks daily
to know Him more intimately. She is the director of
Victorious Living’s Prison Correspondence Team.
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 03 / 2022
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