“Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…” Hebrews 12:1-2
Someone very wise and close to me once said, “ When I meet Jesus, I want to meet Him on my knees, exhausted from running my race.”
Those words stuck with me, and I apply them to my own life at every opportunity.
We have all been given a race to run for a specific purpose, but Imagine you’re running a race with a heavy backpack slung over your shoulders. Performing well in that race would probably be difficult and painful.
In the same way, when you hold onto heartbreak for too long—it weighs you down and prevents you from moving toward what God has called you to do.
It’s not wrong to be heartbroken for a time, but the Bible cautions us not to let it overstay its welcome:
“There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven … a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:1&4
There’s a time to hurt, but moving on is necessary for our well-being. It can be challenging, but God has given us several steps for moving forward:
1. Focus on What’s Good
“…Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8
This has been a huge challenge of mine. I’m not proud of it, but I admit in the past, it’s been easier to stew in the negativity, feeling like I had a “right” to feel the way I did. Now that I’m a little wiser, I understand that those feelings need to be processed, but I only hurt myself more by clinging to those negative thoughts and refusing to see any good.
One way to begin moving forward is to focus on the good. When you make more room for good thoughts, the less room there is for hurtful ones. You free up that space in your heart and mind for the Holy Spirit to move. I would encourage you to battle negative thoughts or hurtful memories with great diligence. Begin by thanking God for the blessings in your life. I know all too well how difficult that can be in the moment, but it is so worth it in the end.
2. Look Forward
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” Isaiah 43:18-19
Unfortunately, what happened in the past will always be there. We can’t change what we’ve done or what has been done to us. With God’s help, though, we can start to move forward from what we’ve lost and focus instead on the healing He wants to bring. If we focus on what He’s doing, we have an opportunity to partner with Him and be a part of the good things He has planned. Personally, that’s a plan I definitely want to be a part of.
3. Rejoice
“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope…” Romans 5:3-4
Moving on means we have a great and unique opportunity to rejoice—not because we experienced pain, but because we’ve been given a chance to grow and learn from what we’ve just been through.
Sadness and heartbreak can be some of our closest times with God, and when we spend time with God, we learn from Him. I’ve had the privilege of walking through some of the most heartbreaking times with a few people in my life. To be perfectly honest, it’s hard to tell a young woman who has just suddenly lost her husband or a mother who has lost a child that there is good that will come from it. In those moments, I lean into my discernment and allow the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do. After all, it’s not me who brings them out of the sadness, but the Holy Spirit working through me. It’s all part of my race.
We rejoice because, with God, we come out of heartbreak with more wisdom.
Healing is a process; it doesn’t happen overnight, but as we move forward from our past hurt, we can count on God being there every step of the way.
I take great comfort in knowing that. As a believer, we aren’t promised infinite rainbows and ice cream, but We are promised we will never suffer alone. Better days are coming, and through it all, God loves us. He is good and cares deeply about what we care about, and He is working every situation for our good and His glory.
Lynn Fulwider
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#lynnfulwiderblogs