Over comers

Have you ever thought about what it means to be an over comer? We are all over comers in one thing or another. Some of us have overcome a handicap to function at the best of our ability. Some of us have overcome a drinking problem, or a drug use problem. Some of us have overcome the urge to bite our fingernails. In whatever way, we are all over comers of something.
Now what does it mean to be a Christian? We have overcome the nature of the natural man, the flesh. We have overcome the urge to live in sin. When we ask Jesus into our hearts, he helps us to overcome. Now when we testify to what has done for us we also overcome. We overcome the shame that was associated with the thing that we did. For example, if we was a drunk and used to beat our spouse, no one wants to get up in church and say, I used to beat up on my spouse. That tells what kind of a terrible person that we were. We are ashamed of that. We live in fear of someone finding that out. However when we can openly testify that we used to be a drunk and spouse beater or whatever your particular situation is then we have truly overcome that. Satan cannot use that to control you anymore.
It can be very hard for a minister to admit, "I fathered a child out of wedlock", or a Sunday School teacher to admit, "I had a baby at age 15". The shame of that knowledge coming out controls that person. In some churches that would be enough to have them kicked out of their position, so they don't want it coming out. However when a person can get to the point they can admit to what they have done in the past, and testify about it, and tell what God has brought you from, Satan has no control over it. He can't use that little bit of hidden information against you, but God can use it for you. To the SS teacher who had the baby at 15, she can relate to the girls who are being pressured for premarital sex. They may not listen to someone that never knew what sex was till they married, but they will listen to someone who has been in their shoes and can relate to those urges. Someone who has felt what they are feeling, someone who cares enough to say I've been there. To those who can testify about the things they done they are over comers.
To the recovering alcoholics, they can help someone who battles the urge to drink, to someone who is an ex-smoker they can help those who are quitting. Once you have overcome the urge and the shame of what you have done then God can use you to help others.
Do you want to keep your past a total secret? if so why? what is there in your past you don't want anyone to know about? Why don't you want anyone to know? Is there guilt over what you have done? Shame over what happened? Regret because you did and can't change it? Sadness because you disappointed your parents? Are you harboring anger at your parents because you they tried to make you something you weren't? Whatever it is you need to take it out and examine it. See why you desire to keep this hid and give it to Jesus. Let him deal with it. Rebuke the stronghold Satan has put on your life. Be set free from it and be an over comer.
God bless you.