Unsettling

The person you were isn’t equipped to handle your present circumstances. Good memories are a blessing, your experience is important, and you can learn from the past, but thinking and reacting as you used to won’t speak the peace, wisdom, and life you need into today.

When you restore your computer, you don’t need to set it back to its factory settings, you just need to reset it to a time before the problem began. So it is with you. When your circumstances trigger anxiety, fear, confusion, anger, or sadness, don’t default to old ways of coping—trying to control everyone and everything, self–medicating, or just shutting down.

When you are in Christ—when Christ is in you—you truly have a new nature. You are no longer an insecure person. You have been, and are continually being, transformed. Your default position, your reset button, is no longer that of an overwhelmed child. It’s that of a fully-loved, fully-capable, fully-empowered son or daughter. Though God may point out things from your past to show you truth and heal your heart, He’s not speaking to who you were. He’s speaking to the royalty you’re learning to become.

When you do mess up, and react as your old self, don’t stay there. Quickly step back into your true identity in Jesus to deal with the situation. Then start the day, or restart it, by asking God how He sees you, and who He wants to be for you. Then you can live it, enjoy it, and get encouraged, empowered, and equipped for tomorrow.