I Was Saved... but in a Dysfunctional Relationship with Jesus

I'm sharing what I've experienced in my personal healing through Jesus Christ and what I've learned in 27 years of being a counselor. Many Christians have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior but remain in bondage; having only moderate to minimal, if any, impact on the Kingdom because of unresolved issues. I lived in bondage for years; presenting only to others what I thought they would endorse or accept. I feared if they really knew me, they would reject me. I tried to amputate my past, it never died...instead became more alive. Whatever we don't deal with will work its way out like any infection in the body-it's God perfect design to have us to address our unresolved issues. I loved God, but felt I had to earn His love by being good enough for Him to love me. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that I was in a dysfunctional relationship with Jesus...what??? 
I was sincere...but sincerely wrong. I had fallen into the deception of working really hard and being good enough to receive God's love. I asked Him to show me how to receive His love...freely and He taught me how to renew my mind being in agreement with His Word, even though I did not "feel" like it was true for me. You will never walk in complete victory until you have revelation of God's love for you and agree with what He says about you and see yourself as He sees you. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom! This is ongoing until the day we go to Heaven. Next, I had to lay down the feelings connected to my past experiences. Up until this time, I had tried to detach from the actual experiences and left with the feelings. I see this when I work with people. We can't separate from the actual experience...we separate from the feelings created during the experience. I laid these feelings at the Cross-Jesus died and rose again so I could completely live for Him-not mostly live for Him. What happened to me...no longer defined me; I laid the feelings at the Cross. I no longer need to prove...because I've been approved-this is my testimony. There's so much more I want to say and I will as God directs me, but for now, I pray what I've shared will help you. Life can be very hard, but God made us for hard. While we're going through the hard, we can experience a peace that surpasses all understanding...because His love and confidence is in us and He's overcome the world...for us! The joy of the Lord is my strength. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me-if He's for me...who can be against me. Blessings friends! 5/14/12 - LMM