One of the possible signs your gaze has shifted away from Jesus is, you compromise on your standards in God. Things that used to be a priority to you, no longer matter.
This was the case with Anne, as she stuck with Mike.

Before now, her focus has always been to bring glory to God and achieve maximal results for His glory…
But now at work, all she wants to know is who Mike was calling, which of the ladies flirted with him, who got the most of his attention and all.

She hated these traits she saw in herself, but she remained helpless.
Moreover, Mike never asked her out or committed to her. All he said was “he enjoyed her company”.
Who says that to a lady he takes advantage of?
There was no form of commitment on his part, but she felt drawn to him every time. She didn’t know why she found it difficult to say No to him.

Dave had told her to listen to “Unstoppable Love” Kim Walker. Especially the part of the song lyrics that sings:
No sin, no shame, no past, no pain
Can separate me from Your Love…
No height, no depth, no fear, no death
Can separate me from Your Love…
That was the only thing that restored her sanity during that period.
As she meditated on this song, she knew God loved her regardless.
But how would she get back to where she used to be?

She couldn’t confide in anyone because she didn’t know who to trust. She was tagged a boss “in her own might”.
Who would ever believe she was in such a position?
She needed to make a decision; and soon too. She was losing her mind.
She decided to return to Dave; seeking counsel.

She had more specific questions this time, that needed liberating answers.
This is how it went down:
Question: How could this happen to me? In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would fall in this manner.
Answer: God is a Lover. He knew all these would happen before time so He already made provisions for your Salvation.
It’s a sign of pride to think you’d get to a point where you’d never need God’s help.
Question: I just want Mike exposed. I feel cheated and used. Is it wrong?
Answer: The wrath of man never brings the Justice of God into play. You are blinded with anger…every decision you make will be purely emotional.
Question: But how do I stop myself from hating Mike?
Answer: By realizing that man is only subject to an influence. No man is inherently bad. Hate iniquity, not the Doer. Hate the act of sin, love the perpetrator.
Dave asked, “What if Mike doesn’t even like how his life seems right now and needs help?”
“I advise you stay away from Him. Fix your eyes on Jesus, until you become totally consumed with Him.
Drop every iota of pride and seek His strength. That’s the way to overcome”, Dave concluded.
Anne felt so much better, and managed to stay away for three weeks.
At work, Anne found a strategy to focus all of her attention on the tasks she was given. She avoided Mike and talked with him, only when she had to…and it was strictly official.

It hurt so bad that it seemed Mike didn’t even care. A part of her wished he did.
There were other ladies (mostly new recruits) that got his attention now.

Everything that transpired between them felt like, she made them all up in her head. He acted like he didn’t even know her name!
Oh she tried! She tried all she could to prevent herself from hating him.
She surrendered her pain and hurt to God; trusting Him for healing.

It worked.
Gradually, her smiles returned, her thoughts were more collected, and her focus, more aligned.

Just when she thought all was behind her, a phone call came through.
It was Mike.

What would she do now? Should she respond?
Could this be her returning to the cycle she just recycled from?
The Concluding Part Of Shame, Fear and Guilt is coming soon!
Thank you for reading through.