On The Other Side Of Pain Is Healing

We all have experienced pain. Some wounds are deeper than others and can seem impossible to ever heal. While there may seem to be different remedies to heal our wounds, there is only one true remedy and that is Jesus. On the other side of pain is healing.

I have been through painful situations in my life that damaged me. I was abandoned by my mother and father at age 3, went through sexual abuse, and much more.

I tried to patch up the pain by doing dark things that were of this world, but it only deepened the pain. The things of this world filled me temporarily, but I would then be left back alone with extreme brokenness.

I wanted to end my life, but I decided to give Jesus a chance. I told God, “If you’re real show yourself. If there is a purpose for my life please show me because I can’t do this anymore.”

That night I surrender my life to Jesus and that was the start of my journey towards healing and restoration.

I thought ending my life was the only solution, but I found hope in Jesus.

My scars today now show others that God is my healer.

God was faithful and answered my prayer and I know He will answer yours too. I don’t know the pain you are carrying, but know that you have a loving father in heaven who wants to heal you.

God has the ability to erase your old and helpless life and make it new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Praise God for giving us Jesus who brings restoration and forgiveness to our lives. My scars are very real, but I also see Jesus all over it. He brought me forgiveness, redemption, and healing to my heart and life. Jesus showed me that on the other side of pain is healing and hope.

We no longer have to live in shame or condemnation because Jesus bore all of that on the cross for us. Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus makes us white as snow (Isaiah 1:18) and will put together our brokenness into something beautiful to give hope to other broken people.

I now get to travel as a speaker and share my testimony and teach the Word of God to others. I understand the power of scars and have started a ministry called Authentic You to share testimonies of other women who have been through hardships but got through because of what God has done.

God is so merciful to take away our sinful life and give us abundant and eternal life with Him. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—."

Will you accept the gift of grace and salvation that Jesus freely gives? Will you surrender your life to Jesus and allow him to heal your pains so that you can be used?

There is a life so full waiting for you on the other side of pain. No matter what you’ve been through, Jesus has still chosen you to carry His light to this world. Jesus still has purpose for you even with your scars. His job is to bring you from darkness into His light. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

My prayer is that you chose to live in freedom and not be bound to pain, hurts, and doubts. Lay your life down to Jesus and you will find healing and hope. So remember, on the other side of pain is healing.

Written by Krystell Caycedo.
Founder of Authentic You Testimonies Worldwide

Website: Krystellcaycedo.com
Instagram: @Krystellacaycedo
Facebook: Authentic You Testimonies Worldwide
Twitter: krystellacera

Setting Our Minds On Things Above

Have you ever stopped to think back to what thoughts you were thinking throughout the day? Research says on average we can have between 50,000-70,000 thoughts per day. I wonder how many of our thoughts are of heavenly minded things versus from our flesh. Are you setting your mind on things above? 

I found myself feeling angry and bitter about someone even though my actions didn't show it. If you've been a Christian long enough, you can get good at "acting" nice, but what about your heart? 

I was responding with kindness to this person even though they were throwing harsh accusations at me, but at the end of the day, I found myself angry, exhausted, and annoyed. I didn't know how to get rid of the bitterness or if it could ever be taken away. 

I then ran into Colossians 3:2 which says, "set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."

It was at that moment when I realized all the bitterness and anger was because I chose to dwell and entertain the negative thoughts and hurt I experienced. If I wanted to forgive this person and truly heal, I had to make the decision to let go of the negative thoughts and set my mind on Jesus. 

The more I fixed my gaze on Jesus and His love for me, the less I felt hurt. It was as if Jesus was the medicine to numb all the pain I had experienced. 

Instead of entertaining the negative thoughts I had, I replaced them with thoughts of the goodness and favor of God over my life. I reminded myself of the grace that Jesus freely gave me even though I didn't deserve it. I was unworthy, yet Jesus willingly gave up his life so that I could have eternal life with him.  

At the end of all of this, I was overwhelmed with His love and I had no more room for the pain and anger to linger in my heart. 

When we are overwhelmed by the love of Jesus, it overflows to other areas in our lives despite the conditions we may be in. 

Ephesians 3:17-19 says, "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Maybe you're not battling with anger, but what about lust? Greed? Jealousy? Selfish ambition? 

God's love has the power to break every bondage in our lives. His love is beyond what we can comprehend and has the power to transform us into the fullness of God. 

We must be constantly rooted and established in the love of Jesus. How do we become rooted in the love of Jesus? 

It starts with our thoughts. 

We must choose to meditate on scripture and keep our minds occupied with heavenly thoughts. Philippians 4:8 says, "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

Scripture makes it clear what is of God and what is of our flesh. Galatians 5:19-22 says, "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like...But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

What do your thoughts consist of? Are you dwelling on fleshly thoughts or on spirit-filled thoughts? Will you choose to drop every negative thought and replace it with God's truth?

It's easy to neglect our thought life. We tend to focus more on our actions and how we feel but rarely do we look back to see what our thoughts were. We must start examining our thoughts because it's the starting point to everything we do and feel. 

You may not be strong enough to fight against your flesh, but Jesus is. You may not be strong enough but the Jesus in you is strong enough. 1 John 4:4 reminds us, "The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."

Don't feel discouraged if you feel far from recovery. Jesus came for that very reason - to save you and to be your strength. His grace is available to those who ask. Ask Jesus to help you in your weaknesses and struggles and He will do just that. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

God will provide a way for you to come out of your weakness in victory. It all starts with your choice to surrender and to set your mind on Jesus. So remember, set your mind on things above. 

Walking Blindly With The Lord

If we had the choice to walk blindly or by sight, many of us would choose to see. It's scary to walk blindly because we can't see what's ahead. While it may seem safer to have our eyes to rely on, we are called to walk blindly with the Lord.

There have been many times when I thought I knew better than God. God would point me in a direction, but I'd tell him, "Are you sure? It doesn't look like that's going to bring me where I need to be."

But as I spent time with God, He reminded me that He can see farther than I can.

As I journey with God, I learn that He is more reliable than what I can see or comprehend. What may make sense in my mind and to the world is often the exact opposite of God's plans.

When God asked me to let go of pursuing my master's degree, I thought that was the craziest idea ever. When He asked me to let go of a relationship I was in, I thought He was setting me up for disaster. But in both occasions (and many more), I've learned that God is always working for my good.

Because I let go of my master's degree, God redirected me to Bible school which is exactly what I need for God's calling on my life. Because I let go of my past relationship, I am now in a new relationship that is actually taking me closer to God's destination for my life.

God knew all along what I needed and who I needed to be with to reach my destiny when I couldn't see it at the moment. 

My eyes only tempted me to think that I knew better than God. Thank God I chose to live by faith and not by sight because it was only then that I was able to see God's faithfulness come through.

Isaiah 55:9 reminds us, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

God's ways are always beyond what we can see. 

We will never be able to predict God's ways because He works through the impossible. God loves to show off in our lives and He does so by doing things beyond we can think or imagine. Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."

God will not limit himself to our small-minded thinking. He wants to do miracles in our lives, but we must be willing to follow him even when it doesn't make sense. We are to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). If we have been accustomed to making decisions based on our common sense, we must ask ourselves are we really walking by faith? 

We read throughout scripture that the people God used all had to take steps of faith and get out of their comfort zone. God asked Abraham to leave his home and country to a land he couldn't see. (Genesis 12:1). David who wasn't trained up as a soldier was able to defeat Goliath, the greatest warrior of his time with just stones and a slingshot (1 Samuel 17:50). God asked Gideon to bring only 300 men to fight against thousands of Midianites. (Judges 7:7).

God asked them all to do what didn't make sense so that He would have the glory. Scripture makes it clear that God was with them and it was God who brought them success. 

This is the God we serve - the God of the impossible. 

Matthew 19:26 says, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." God will never operate in our common sense ways because He doesn't have to. If he can move in ways that will blow our minds away, He will do it for His glory.

What step of faith is God calling you to do? Will you surrender and trust God despite what you see?

God wants us to learn to trust Him. It will require us to take a step into the unknown and believe God will come through.

Just as God was with Abraham, David, Gideon, and many others, He is also with us and for us. No matter what we go through, we can resting knowing God is always working for our good (Romans 8:28).   

We must remember that the Christian walk is to walk blindly with the Lord. It's normal to be moving forward without knowing everything. God wants us to learn to depend on Him and less on ourselves. We shouldn't wait until it all makes sense before we follow God.

It's only when we are willing to surrender our ways to God that we will be able to see him do wonders in our lives. May we take steps of faith so that we can say, "Not to us, Lord, but to your name be the glory.."(Psalm 115:1). So remember, walk blindly with the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, I will follow you even when things don't make sense because I trust that you see beyond what I can see. 

Armored For Battle

We all have to go through hardships and battles. Whether we are a believer or non-believer, we all are susceptible to the imperfections of this world. The question isn't whether you're in a battle, but are you armored for battle?

After overcoming one of the hardest seasons of my life, I thought things would finally get easier. I was obeying God and doing all that He'd asked me to do, but after a time of victory, I was back into battle.

I was faced with accusations getting thrown at me and fears from my past started to creep in again.

I remember asking God, "Why is this all happening? Aren't I in your will?"

God then spoke to me one morning and said, "Just because you are armored doesn't mean you are safe from battle. Because you are armored, you are ready for battle."

It was in that moment when I realized God was preparing and equipping me this whole time to learn to stand firm against the schemes of the enemy.

Being a Christian does not mean we will pass through the hardships of life. We live in a world where the enemy is still roaring like a lion, seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8). But because we have Christ, we can go through battles and finish victorious.

Jesus says in John 16:33, "...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." The pain of this world will be real and fear will be present, but with Christ, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). 

While we have Christ in us who helps us in our weaknesses, we still have to put on the full armor of God to win the battle. Ephesians 6:11 says, "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes."

What does the full armor of God look like? Ephesians 6:14-17 explains it:

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace... take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

We need to put on the full armor of God to come out victorious. The shield of faith is critical to block against the fears that the enemy will attack us with. We must be living in righteousness to prevent our hearts from impurity and hold on to salvation that Jesus gave us. Lastly, we need to use the word of God to bring down any lies and temptations the enemy will throw at us.

We need every aspect of the armor of God to successfully overcome the attacks of the enemy. If we are missing even one of the armors of God, we are giving room for the enemy to attack us. Imagine going into battle with everything except a sword. You may last for a while but will eventually die.

Just like any battle, we too are in an intense battle against the enemy. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." No matter what you are going through, know that Jesus is for you. He came to give you life to the fullest.

In the midst of my battles, I had to use the sword of God which is the word of God, and speak it over every accusation that was thrown at me. I learned that no lie of the enemy could break me down because I was holding on to the truth of Jesus.

There is no weapon greater than the word of God. We can use the advice that the world offers, but it won't sustain us. We will eventually wear out and grow weary. But God's word is flawless. Psalm 18:30 says, "As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him."

We must not entertain any thought but bring it down right away with the word of God. We are letting go of our armor in the midst of battle the moment we entertain bad thoughts.

The enemy will throw fears in our mind that speak against the truth of God. It's in those moments when we must make the choice to believe in God's word over our fears. God's word has never failed and will never fail. He has a faithful track record like no other.

We can be sure that on the other side of the battle is God's promises for our lives. God was leading Joshua and the others to their promised land, but they had to go through impossible battles. Their first obstacle was to cross the Jordan river while it was at flood stage and highest peak (Joshua 3:15).

Despite the impossibility, God was able to dry out the river the moment the priests who were holding the ark of God stepped into the river. All of Israel crossed the Jordan river on dry land (Joshua 3:17).

Through it all, God made one promise to Joshua that He also is promising us:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

We may go through the toughest battles, but God promises to always be with us. Be bold and courageous because God is taking you through the battle into your promise land. No matter the battle, know that a mighty God is with you and for you. So remember, you are armored for battle.

Shop Be Bold and Courageous Tee here

Spending Time With Jesus

Spending time with Jesus can easily be put on the bottom of our to-do list as life gets busy. When time becomes limited, so can our time with Jesus. But spending time with Jesus is crucial for every aspect of our lives.

As vacation time was coming up, my to-do list was growing.

I had work tasks that had to be completed, graphics that had to be created and scheduled for Living Revelations, and much more. I started neglecting my morning times with God to work out more in the gym just before my cruise.

When I finally had the time to spend alone time with Jesus, I ran into a passage in my devotional that said: "We are not called to do something but to do it for someone."

It was at that moment when I realized I had lost my focus on the most important thing - Jesus.

I was getting things done for Jesus but neglected Jesus himself. Without me realizing, I was prioritizing my to-do list over spending time with Jesus.

While Jesus loves us doing things for him, He first wants us to give our undivided attention to Him.

When we spend more of our time doing things for Him and neglect to spend the time to hear what He has to say, we have missed the whole point. Our lives were made to glorify God and that only comes from a life devoted to Jesus in the secret place - the place where you and Jesus are alone.

Matthew 22-37-38 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment."

We are not showing our love and devotion to God if we are only doing things for Him but neglecting to spend time with Him. Imagine having a spouse who does things for you but doesn't bother to spend quality time with you. How would that make you feel?

Jesus cares more about us than the things we do for Him. 

We see this in the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus came to visit them and while Mary was sitting at the Lord's feet listening to what he said, Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made (Luke 10:39-40).

Martha got upset and asked Jesus to tell Mary to help her. But Jesus replied, "few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42).

Jesus made it clear that Mary has chosen what is better, which is spending time listening to Him. While all the preparations were important, they were not as important than spending time with Jesus.

Nothing is worth cutting our time with Jesus.

Are you like Martha who loves Jesus but is distracted by the things that need to get done? What's distracting you from spending time with Jesus? Is it ministry for Jesus himself? Is it your workload?

Whatever it may be, know that time with Jesus is worth it and necessary.

Jesus says in John 15:5,"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Jesus is the key to the success of our lives and ministry. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. Many times we think we are being more productive by getting our to-do list done first before spending time with Jesus, but in reality, we will be more productive if we start our day with Jesus.

There's nothing more important than spending time with Jesus.  Jesus is the source of joy and strength we need to get through the day, the source of wisdom and creativity that for us to stand out in our work, and the source of love and assurance we need to persevere in the midst of a negative world.

What if spending time with Jesus was the solution to your marriage conflicts? What if spending time with Jesus was the key to the inspiration and strategy you needed for your dreams to come true? 

We need to start viewing time with Jesus as necessary than optional. We cannot reach the plans God has for our lives by our own strength and mind. We need God's strategies and creativity. Jesus has all the solutions we need for our lives and when we spend time with Him, He will pour out all the wisdom and revelation we need to glorify Him in all we do.

Ephesians 1:17 says, "..the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." The more we spend time with Jesus, the more our lives will look like Him. 

Proverbs 2:6 says, "For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." God has also given us the Holy Spirit to know Jesus better and to live as Jesus live so that others may witness His love and power through us.

The more we spend time with Jesus, the more we will see Him real and active in our lives. It's the time spent with Jesus that prepares us for ministry and to glorify God. So remember, spend time with Jesus.

Jesus Is The Answer

When depression becomes more than we can bear, it’s easy to turn to suicide as the solution. But ending our lives is not the answer to fix the hardships of life. There is hope and that is found only through Jesus. Jesus is the answer.

Even though I grew up in the church pews, I thought of ways to end my life. My faith was dead. I had no idea what hope felt like or even looked like.

I was numb to everything around me.

I remember being 6 years old and my dad would drag my mom down the street to beat her. He then made me feel worthless because I couldn’t get an ambulance. I would be locked in the closet and hit with metal cords. I would pee myself and starve.

I was living in crisis daily.

The molestation began in my sleep, then the cutting and the abandonment of false lovers. I wanted to end my life but one day I was old enough to see the trash of ashes in my heart.

There was only one thing I could do, one last prayer of hope and that was to invite Jesus into my life.

Jesus saved me from suicide when I had no one. He showed me true love and opened my eyes to see that I was valued, loved, and His beloved child.

Suicidal thoughts come from the enemy - they come through emotions of fear, anger, and bitterness. Demons will taunt us and place lies in our minds that ending our lives will be better than living in this life.

But that is a lie. There is a solution and Jesus is the answer.

Jesus still has a purpose for your life no matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been. There is no one too hopeless for Jesus. Hope doesn't come from your situation but from Jesus. So no matter how bad your situation may be, know that with Jesus you can bring hope to others.

Nothing is impossible with God and He is able to take our pain and turn it into joy. He will use our life as a testimony to bring hope and life to others.

There is a love that is constant and endless and that only comes from Jesus.

God doesn’t promise us that we will be excluded from hardships, but he does promise us that we will come out of our hardships as overcomers through Jesus.

Romans 8:37 says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

We must learn to say no to the lies of the enemy and say yes to Jesus. Our yes to Jesus will take us further than we think. Jesus will lead us out of our troubled lives into a life of victory to be the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)

Jesus can do anything to turn our situations around. Matthew 19:26 says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Jesus died while we were all sinners so that we could have hope and everlasting life with Him. The enemy wants us to end our lives so that we miss out on what Jesus died for us.

But you don't have to end your life because Jesus gave up his life for you. 

Jesus wants to turn your life into a testimony for others. Will you give your heart to Jesus and surrender your life to Him? Will you believe that nothing is impossible with God? 

Romans 8:1 reminds us, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Don’t let your situation define your worth. Jesus found you worthy enough to die for.

Satan tempted Jesus to end his life (Luke 4:9-11) so he will try to tempt us too. However, we have the word of God to stand firm against the lies of the enemy. We must not give in to the troubles of this world but turn to God who is able to turn our messy lives around.

Jesus tells us in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We can overcome our troubles because we have Jesus. If Jesus was able to overcome the grave, He surely is able to overcome any situation we will face. So remember, Jesus is the answer.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you that my life doesn't have to end in defeat because you bring hope and victory to our lives. 

Testimony of Ruth Martinez - Follower her on Instagram @he_tookthecross

Silencing Fear

Our fears tend to feel real and cause us to take actions based on false beliefs. However, we can't rely on our fears because they are not always true.  Fear will only hold us back from experiencing the best that God has for us. Silencing fear is key.

I have been attacked with fearful thoughts this past week. 

As I entertained the fears running through my mind, it all started to feel real. I started asking myself, "Could this be true? Is this really happening?" 

The emotions started to get to me but I remembered to bring my fears to the Lord. The moment I spoke my fears to the Lord, I realized how silly they were. 

As I spent time with the Lord in his word, he opened my eyes and showed me that my fears were all attacks from the enemy. The enemy was using fear to pull me away from where God was calling me to be. 

Whenever that fear would arise, I would immediately throw it out and chose to not believe in it. 

The enemy wanted me to doubt God's faithfulness and throw away every promise that He has spoken over my life. But because I drew near to the God, He exposed every lie of the enemy. 

As we draw near to God, his light exposes all the lies of the enemy. 

1 John 1:5 says, "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." When we draw near to God, his light will expose all darkness within us. Ephesians 5:13 says, "everything exposed by the light becomes visible."

The enemy wants us to stay isolated and keep our fears to ourselves. The last thing the enemy will want us to do is to bring our fears to God because he knows God will expose it all. 

We must not let fear stop us from either pursuing or letting go of what God is calling us to do. Fear will make us doubt in God's goodness so that we would take things into our own hands. But it's in these moments when we must bring our fears to God so that it can all be exposed.

Are you making your choices out of faith or faith? 

There is a difference between faith and fear. Faith is believing in what God says, while fear is believing in what we feel. 

Our feelings are not reliable because they are limited by our own perspective and flawed with our emotions. God however sees and knows all things. Jeremiah 17:9 warns us that our heart is deceitful. We can't trust in our feelings but we can trust in God. 

Fear pulls us away from our destiny, but faith brings us closer. 

If we want to see God's good plans for our lives, we must take the steps of faith. Jesus says in John 11:40, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

What is God asking you to believe for? Will you choose to believe in his faithfulness or your own fears?

It's impossible to have both faith and fear. We must choose which we will live by. Faith will require us to silence our fears with God's truth. Only through a life of faith can we see God revealed. Faith will call us outside the comfortable and known, but the end result will always be for our best.

Hebrews 10:35-36 reminds us to not throw away our confidence in the Lord. The verse says, "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." 

Where are you putting your confidence in? Do your actions show that you believe in God?

If you want to receive what God has promised, it is going to require you to let go of your will for his will. While it may be painful, we must remember that ultimately God's will is perfect and better than what we could ever come up with. 

God has never failed anyone in the Bible and he does not plan to fail you either.

Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not human, that he should lie...Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" We see throughout the Bible that God has always fulfilled every promise he has spoken and his principle stands true - obedience to God will always lead to blessings. 

Deuteronomy 28:2 reminds us, "All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.." The key word in this verse is "if". We will only see God's blessings in our lives if we chose to silence our fears and obey God. 

Live bold and courageous because God is with you. Don't give in to fear because it will only lead you further away from God's amazing plans for your life. So remember, silence fear. 

Prayer: Lord, I choose to silence my fears with your truth. 

Shop new Be Bold and Courageous Shirt here