that's what you get.
These thoughts and experiences are mine, and I share with the sole purpose of hoping someone can relate and grow closer to Jesus; reclaiming the hope and peace we have through Him and Him alone. If you could use prayer, please contact us so we can pray with you!
"That's what you get for thinking that would work..."
"That's what you get for putting yourself out there..."
"That's what you get for thinking you could have that..."
"That's what you get for opening your mouth..."
"That's what you get."
Have you ever done something out of your comfort zone, to be met with a less-than-ideal outcome? I have.
I've said things with the hope of deepening and strengthening a relationship, only to walk away feeling farther away and less connected.
I've shared my heart to someone who didn't have the capacity to understand, and I felt hurt and unloved.
I've shared parts of my life to comfort someone who was hurting, only to find out it would later be used against me.
After a while, this negative outcome became less and less of a surprise. I started to almost expect it. I began to associate trying with failing/disappointment/embarrassment.
The scariest part was I didn't even realize that was happening.
The saddest part was I began to stop trying.
I stopped trying to do, create, volunteer for new things because when they didn't go as planned and I was disappointed and sad, all I heard was "That's what you get for thinking that would work. Leave that for the people who are good at it."
I stopped volunteering/participating because when it was met with shame or embarrassment, all I heard was "That's what you get for putting yourself out there. Just stay where you are."
I started to lower my standards for everything because when I had something good and it blew up in my face, all I could hear was "that's what you get for thinking you could have that. Time to set realistic standards for someone like you."
I stopped speaking Truth, giving my opinion, sharing my heart or my feelings, because I was repeatedly getting shut down and rejected, dismissed and ignored. All I heard was "this is what you get for opening your mouth. Maybe it's time to stay quiet."
So I did. I stepped back, scaled back, dimmed and quieted my personality, and began to keep my mouth more closed than open; sharing only "surface level" things when I would speak out.
Becoming a shell of yourself is sad. It's dark, lonely... I was pathetic if I'm being honest. Not that life if ever perfect, but complete and imperfect is better than hollow and hopeless-- and also imperfect.
I knew those "that's what you get" statements weren't from God. I knew that because God doesn't condemn like these thoughts did: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Romans 8:1. I looked at the disappointment, sadness, embarrassment, shame, rejection, and isolation I was "getting" and thought about how I was to go about swapping them out for something better. Something much better.
I had to pull a trick out of Jesus's book when He was being tempted: just go to Scripture..
I traded my disappointment for hope (Psalm 39:7), sadness for joy (Romans 12:12), embarrassment and shame for humility (Colossians 2:18), and remembered with Whom I was always welcomed, accepted and known. (Full verses at the bottom)
When I started to immerse myself in TRUTH, I started to see things more clearly. Even the not-so-great stuff. I started to have hope even when things were a little sticky. I had joy in sad situations, and I didn't run away with my tail between my legs when things got a little silly. And let me tell ya what you get friend. What you get when you open your Bible, READ that Word, BELIEVE that Word, and you HEED that Word. What you get is peace, hope, joy, love, comfort, rest, refuge, someone who actually gets it...
THAT IS WHAT YOU GET.
That is what you need to remember!! God has so many wonderful and beautiful things for you as you endure those struggles and challenges, while the enemy wants you to quit before you get "hurt". Quitting means you never see the blessing on the other side. I'm learning that the hurt and heartache I sometimes experience is actually the BEAUTIFUL thing- the blessing- just in the form of a lesson learned first hand. At least that is how I like to view it. If God is working all things out for my good, then it's just an ingredient of an amazing recipe.
The next time you are hearing that condemning voice of the enemy trying to discourage you, or whatever nastiness he's trying to do, open up the Word. Renew your mind and refresh your spirit with the TRUTH; with God's promises. Because as a believer and follower of Jesus, THAT is what WE get!
YOU are the 1 He left the 99 for. That's exactly what we can expect out of our Shepherd.
“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you. Psalm 39:7
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12
Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.- Colossians 2:18
