Ever had a secret that you held on to for years? You felt so ashamed to speak it that you couldn’t imagine telling a soul. This is what happened to Allison. After celebrating what she now calls her ‘freedom week’, she shared that she had been sexually abused as a child. For years she held onto the shame and embarrassment of it all. As a 28-year-old successful young woman, she was able to afford many of the luxuries that no one in her family ever thought they’d enjoy, but none of those things seemed to lessen the sadness and shame she always felt. Inside, Allison felt like a failure all the time. She never allowed a relationship to blossom with anyone, because she didn’t feel a man would love her if he found out what she had endured.
Allison learned about the Lord Jesus Christ as a teenager and becoming a Christian had brought tremendous comfort to her life, but her pain was deeply entrenched. She hadn’t allowed herself to confront it. This all changed the day, Jason, someone she barely knew, nudged her to confront her fears.
Isaiah 26:3(NLT) tells us, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” Heavenly Father wants us to have His peace all the time. It is a peace that isn’t dependent on our condition or circumstances. Philippians 4:7 tells us that God’s peace passes all understanding, so we don’t need all the answers to our issues and problems in order to abide in God’s peace. We simply need to trust Him as He guides and directs our paths.
Allison worked hard at her job, and she was feeling the need to get away for some spiritual recharging. So, this time, when the spiritual retreat for singles was announced at her church, she knew it was just what she needed and signed up right away. Jason was a newcomer that had been attending services at her church for about two months. He heard about the singles retreat and decided to go as well.
The retreat was four days and three nights, and Friday night was notoriously pegged ‘freedom night’. This night was special for many singles that had attended the retreat in the past. It’s a night where everyone is invited to get up and tell something about themselves, but the kicker is that it must be a truth no one else knows. The offer is to ‘share what you are led in your heart to share.’ When the pastor asked for the first volunteer, Jason stood up. Well-spoken and confident, Allison thought it seemed natural that someone like him would be first, but the tenderness that surrounded his words struck an undeniable tone of honesty and vulnerability. He shared that he had never known his parents and was an orphan all his life. He went from one foster home to another until he was 18. After graduating high school, he signed up for the Army and made a good life for himself through military service.
Allison was impressed with his openness, but thought it was something she could never do. During a break, he noticed an empty seat next to her and they began to chat. She told him how much she admired what he said, and he remarked that for a long time he didn’t want anyone to know about his childhood. Not knowing his parents was something he had struggled to overcome, but he said, “It no longer defines me. My faith in God through the Lord Jesus Christ defines who I am.” Allison told him, “I’m too shy…I just don’t have it within me to speak so freely.” Jason knew the root of those words, and he lovingly compelled her, “Whatever it is, don’t be afraid to tell your story, so others can be free too.” His words helped to give her wings that night.
When the crowd thinned a bit, Allison found the courage to share the secret she had kept for many years. This began her journey to release the shame and condemnation she carried most of her life. She could not have imagined the freedom she would experience the moment she unburdened her heart from the weight of pain. For the first time she understood the liberty of Christ, and that because of him, nothing in our past can hold us hostage. The next day, a woman Allison didn’t know told her that she, too, had been violated as a child, and she was so thankful and inspired by what Allison had shared.
Galatians 5:1 tells us, “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.” Liberty in Christ is our birthright! We don’t ever have to live or walk in shame or condemnation. Deliverance belongs to the believer, because our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gave his life so that we could be free. Don’t let another day, month or year go by without allowing him to help you release yourself from bondage and fear. You will feel so much better, and you’ll be surprised by the number of people that can be impacted and encouraged by your testimony.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“So Others Can Be Free” written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.