A 24 Year Old Woman’s Testimony
Your personal identity, how you see yourself is often shaped by your early experiences in life.
Maybe you had a great childhood and have always had a relatively healthy self-image. Then again, maybe your parents or grandparents said and did things that made you doubt your worth. If you’re in the second group, then I can relate.
I was left in Zimbabwe by my mother when I was just 5 years old. I was left with my father and my brother. From the age of 8 my father started to sexually abuse me. He raped me and made me into his wife. He was horrible to me in front of people and then he would come to my bed at night.
I only escaped when I came to the UK to live with my mum. He did not come with us.
When I joined my mum I had a very messed up self-image. I was angry, critical, negative, ashamed and judgmental.
I was suicidal.
I desperately needed to believe that I was who God said I was .
I was born again. I loved Jesus, and I believed that my sins were forgiven and I would go to heaven when I died. But I had no peace, no joy, and no victory in my everyday life.
I felt condemned all the time.
I was making the tragic mistake of trying to find my identity in things and people, I went from relationship to relationship rather than looking to Christ alone See John 3:16 and 2 Corinthians 5:17
Jesus had paid the price for my total deliverance, but I had no idea how to receive His gracious gift.
One day I came across a Facebook page from Freedom Ministry talking about the love of God. I read about the unconditional love of God.
I discovered that I did think He loved me...but only if I was doing all the right things. And what I desperately needed to believe is that God’s love for me was unconditional.
What a breakthrough! That was the beginning of my emotional healing. I started the one to one sessions with some of the Freedom Team. It has been a process, but today I can honestly say I am healed and content. I know in my heart that God loves me, and I also love myself.
I encourage you to do what I was taught to do: Saturate your mind with the truth of God’s Word. It is filled with reminders of His unconditional love for you!
Your identity is not what happened to you . You are not a victim but a victor.
