Finding God's Grace in Your Darkest Moments

Have you ever looked back at your life and wondered how you survived your darkest moments? That reflection point is exactly where this transformative conversation begins. Walking through personal valleys of shame, regret, and poor decisions reveals a profound truth that resonates with anyone carrying the weight of their past mistakes.

Romans 8:28 promises that all things work together for good for those who love God, but embracing this truth requires letting go of the self-condemnation that often lingers long after we've received forgiveness. The journey from self-loathing to self-forgiveness unfolds as we explore how God preserves us even when our choices lead us astray. Those broken relationships, misguided decisions, and painful experiences aren't wasted—they become the very stepping stones God uses to build your testimony.

Many of us struggle with self-worth, seeking validation in all the wrong places before discovering our true value in God's unwavering love. The enemy whispers that we're defined by our worst moments, but God's truth declares that nothing can separate us from His love. This episode offers a gentle reminder that your past doesn't determine who you are, but rather informs the powerful story God is writing through your life. As you listen, you'll find permission to forgive yourself, embrace your journey, and recognize that your mess is becoming a message someone else desperately needs to hear. God isn't finished with your story—the most beautiful chapters may still lie ahead.

God's words are a clear reminder to us of His love for us, and trust His word. Zephaniah 3:17: For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Positioned for Purpose
• 1:27 Reflecting on Past Mistakes
• 3:40 Finding Self-Worth Through God's Love
• 6:40 Forgiving Yourself After God Forgives
• 11:55 Your Story Matters: Looking Forward
• 15:27 Closing Prayer and Call to Action

Transcript

Colette: 0:07

Hi, everyone, welcome. Thank you for joining us today on our Positioned for Purpose Conversations with Colette Marie podcast. I'm your host, colette Marie. Yes, our podcast is for women of faith who struggle to see God in the places of pain and hardship and who need a reminder, a gentle reminder, that, right where you are, god will use you In the mess, in the hardships, in your most challenging times, in your heartaches and in your pain. God has a greater plan for your story. Romans 8, 28 states. For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose. Have you ever thought about where you have been and how God has preserved your life and has kept you? On today's episode, I want you to journey with me as I reflect on where I have been and how God's hands has just been the one guiding force that has protected me, that has kept me, even the wrong choices that I made, just to know that God's grace and his love for me is a thing that has preserved my life.

Colette: 1:36

This morning I was reading this book written by Gigi Renfro. It's okay to cry as I read her story. It's okay to cry as I read her story. Can I tell you, it just reminded me of where I have been, the mistakes that I made, the relationships that I got into, the things that I did. That was just not right. But sometimes I wonder, girl, what were you thinking of? How could you have gotten yourself into these situations that you found yourself in? And, really, how come you are alive today? And can I tell you, that's only because of God. And can I tell you that's only because of God. So he didn't, he wasn't the one who was the cause of all the mistakes that I made. I have to take personal responsibilities for all of that, but in hindsight, just looking back, all I can see was that all along my journey, that God has been there, that God has preserved me. When I should have lost my mind, he kept me sane. He kept me sane. It could have been no one else, absolutely no one else, but he.

Colette: 3:02

So the question I want to ask you today have you ever stopped and reflected on your past, where you have been, what happened to you, the things that you did, the decisions and the choices that you made? And you know, without a shadow of a doubt, it was a divine hand of God that kept you. Have you ever stopped to reflect on that? Because, honestly, sometimes we need to be reminded. We need to be reminded that where we are now, we didn't get there by ourselves. God's hand has been the driving force that guided us.

Colette: 3:43

So, though, we made decisions that were not the right things, you know my scripture verse Romans 8, 28,. And for we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose. Of course, when I was walking in sin, this was not something that I was thinking of. I couldn't see that would not have been applicable. But as I come to know Lord as Christ, I know that that word became applicable to me.

Colette: 4:16

So, in looking back on where I have been, the places that I have been, the mistakes that I have made, finding myself in situations where I shouldn't have been, the mistakes that I have made, finding myself in situations where I shouldn't have been, oh my God, when I look back, it could only be Almighty God, I'm telling you, it could only be Him that has preserved me to be able to live, to tell my story about his goodness and his grace and his hands over my life. And as I thought about how the Lord says use your voice, tell your story, tell your story. And my story is about where I have been and where God has always been, where God has always been, where God has always been. And I remember just being a teenager, just making these wrong choices, being in these sexual relationships that I had no place being in, because I didn't know my own worth, I didn't know my own value, I didn't know what it was like to be truly loved by a dad, and I allowed every little thought, every little mention of love to find myself in the arms of someone that I shouldn't have found myself in. Oh my word, oh my word.

Colette: 5:47

But later on, as I've learned that God loves me and loves me unconditionally, it would take years for me to truly understand what it means to be loved by Almighty God, and only that could have formed the decisions that I would have made earlier. But in those days I didn't know, I didn't understand. I got my heart broken so many times, so many times, so many times, because what I've learned is, when we don't value ourselves honestly, no one else values us, because they see in our actions, the things that we say, how we treat our own selves, that we truly do not value ourselves. Why am I sharing that with you today? Why am I sharing that with you today? It's to remind you to pause and to reflect. Mind you to pause and to reflect, especially as a woman of faith. And you may be looking back and, like me, you may be saying to yourself how could I have done all these things? But I want to encourage you today that God has a plan, a greater plan for your story that someone else needs to hear about.

Colette: 7:18

Where you have been and what God has done, how he preserved you, how he kept you, even when you didn't see him, even when we didn't see him, that he walked alongside us. He was not happy with the decisions that we made, but his love for us didn't cause him to abandon us. He didn't leave us all by ourselves. Our sin separated him from us, but he did not stop loving us. It would take me a while to truly understand that, because the shame and just the disgust that I had for my own self coupled that with the enemy telling us that we have no value. And how could you do this and your? You know all the negatives that the enemy will come and whisper to us. We take those lies and make them our own and we believe what he says about us. When the word of God is contrary to what the enemy says, he says that he loves us with an everlasting love and nothing can separate us from that love Nothing, nothing. So where you have been, where we have been, it was messy, but God will turn it into a message only if we allow him, only if we give him those parts and those places, because he wants to heal them, he wants to restore us, he wants to show us that, yes, you're not your mistake, I love you and I have a good plan for you.

Colette: 9:01

Because, as I listen, that book just opened up some thoughts in me. It made me feel love in my heart, because it reminded me that I had been there as well, and it is God's love that saved me, it's God's love that redeemed me, it's God's love that has transformed my very life, god's love that has transformed my very life. I remember being in an adulterous relationship as a teenager, because I wanted love, I wanted to be loved. And, in hindsight, who could I have been there I didn't even know myself much more to be involved in a sexual relationship with someone who wasn't married and for years that shame and that disgust and that thing was so heavy on me and it had to take God to really cause me to see that he has forgiven me. I had to forgive myself. I had to forgive myself.

Colette: 9:58

It would take decades later, now that that story is something a whole new, a whole new, different thing that God did because he allowed he allowed, oh, my God, he allowed healing to take place within that family for me to say that I'm sorry to have been inside of this, but it would have taken years and it would was only God who orchestrated that. But even when that took place, I still could not forgive myself. But years later, god says I forgive you, so you can forgive yourself. And so I don't know where you have been and I don't know what challenges you had, what mistakes you made. But can I tell you, forgive yourself, forgive yourself. Once you've asked the Lord to forgive you, he forgave you the minute you asked, the minute you asked, he forgave you. Now I'm telling you to forgive yourself because I know that the enemy like to remind us of our past, the things we've done, the places that we've been, but we're not our past.

Colette: 11:14

God will use it as stepping stones to get us to a place that he has called us to be, to be a witness to someone else who has been or is in that place, to say I was there. This is what God has done. My friends, my sisters and I say friends because I know there are males as well so I want to call you my friends. My friends listen, going to call you my friends, my friends, listen, it's amazing what God can do in our lives and what God will do in our lives if we just allow him to just do it, if we allow him to heal the broken places in our lives, if we're just open and honest with him. Open and honest with him and allow him to, to transform us. Because he will. Because, can I tell you something, our stories matter, our stories matter, and in our story, yes, there is Also, there is a message, but there is also redemption and restoration. That's what God wants to do with each of us today.

Colette: 12:31

And so I'm in a reflective and a contemplative move today, because I'm reminded so much of the love that God has for every single one of us, for every single one of us, for every single one of us, and so, as we give him our everything, as we tell him about the things that are hurting us, as we tell him about where we are and how we may be feeling disappointed, or we may be feeling anxious, or we may not be sure about what's coming next and we are worried and we are perturbed. Give it to God. Give it to him and allow him to release his peace upon you. Allow him to remind you that I will perfect everything that concerns you, that I will walk beside you every step of the way, that I will sing over you with songs of deliverance. He's not done with you yet. He's not done with me yet. He's not done with us yet.

Colette: 13:34

There is more to our story that is still being written. Allow God, allow God to have first place in your life and allow him to show you how much you are loved by him and how much your past is a stepping stone to what he has for you. He's going to use those broken pieces and he's going to put them back together again, as a potter he is, and he's going to show you that there's beauty in your ashes, beauty in our ashes, and that someone else's life will be transformed Because we were obedient to share our story to do what he has called us to do. So today I came on just to remind you of the love of God for you and that your past does not determine who you are, but you'll use your past to affect change for your future. You can't do it by yourself. Allow God to help you to do that. He knows the end from the beginning, he knows where you are right now and he wants you to be reminded that he loves you with a everlasting love.

Colette: 14:53

So, father, I thank you for my friends today. I pray that you will bless them abundantly, god. I just pray that you'll remind them how much you love them, almighty God, and that their past, almighty God, will not separate you from them. Father, in the name of Jesus, as they surrender and heal their lives over to you, god, may you have your way. May you bring healing, may you bring restoration. May you bring redemption, god, and may you remind them, almighty God, that you are their God. You are their Father, almighty God, and you have them in the palms of your hands. My friends, I hope that today's episode was a blessing to you. Have an amazing day. If you enjoyed this week episode and found a value in it. Would you consider liking subscribing on either apple, spotify or iheart podcast, share with a friend or leave a review on the show. You doing that helps to allow other persons to find this podcast and also make it be a blessing to them. Looking forward to see you next week.