Hello everyone. 🙂
The following testimony is designed to show forth the praises of my merciful God who repeatedly, constantly, and continually works with me. I am so grateful for the convictions He gives me, for the repentance He gives me, and for the healing and victory that He gives me.
We all know that curses are not a good thing. There is one curse that God has recently been lifting from my life: the curse that comes to those of us who place excessive trust in other people and who lean on other people in the ways in which we ought to be leaning on God.
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5 (KJV)
As a person with a naturally anxious temperament, I have long had the tendency to latch on very strongly to certain people who seemed to give me a sense of security and/or inspiration and/or hope. I have not consistently indulged in this tendency, and I do also have a deep experience of depending on God.
This being said, there have been several episodes in my life of me indulging in this sad way of thinking and living. My trust and dependence on certain people have become very strong. I have not always been aware of how strong my dependence has been, but now, I see this side of my life history more clearly. I see dependence on other people for the sin that it is, and I see the legacy of pain and departing from God that this maladaptive way of living brings.
The people I have put so much trust in don’t have infinite wisdom or infinite strength, just like I don’t. They aren’t flawless and they have made honest mistakes with a clear conscience, just like I have done.
Furthermore, the people I have put so much trust in have gone through pain and trials, and they are just human, just like I am. They have become broken, they have made mistakes, and, because they are human, they just haven’t always been able to meet the needs of my soul, no matter how good their intentions and how earnest and loving their hearts have been.
Sometimes, during times when I have been living under the curse of excessive confidence in other people, I have become judgemental towards and manipulative of people whom I had put too much trust in. I have struggled to see them falter or fail, and/or to see what I perceived to be their falters and failings because I gained an excessive amount of personal comfort and courage from watching them live life the right way. Because I was not always depending on and trusting God as I should have been, I would sometimes launch into certain fear-motivated behaviors-which were sometimes annoying and once even quite hurtful, in an effort to correct my “saviors” so that they could help to save me.
While living this way, my heart was departing from my Savior Jesus Christ, who is the only One who can truly meet all of my needs. This is the curse that God is talking about in Jeremiah 17:5.
The solution to excessive trust in other people? The solution to this problem is to trust in God, to know Him intimately, and to receive His love for others in our hearts. God provides us with the insight, hope, and guidance that we need in His word.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” I John 4:18 (KJV)
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 13:3 (KJV)
“For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…” Isaiah 30:15 (KJV)
“And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.” Hosea 2:19-20 (KJV)
May we all trust God more fully is my prayer. When we trust Him the most, we will trust other people in a balanced way, and we will not indulge in fearful judgement of or manipulation of people who let us down, either unintentionally or intentionally, because we will have found an all-wise, all-knowing, and all helpful Savior…the only Savior…Jesus Christ.
Please help us all dear Jesus. We need Your help and we know that You are eager to give it.
Thank You so much for hearing and answering this prayer.
In Jesus’ Name Amen
I hope that this blog post has been a blessing to you all. I also hope that you all will stay tuned for my next blog post on Bible prophecy.
Blessings and courage. 🙂
Learn and Grow 4ever 