In the book of Galatians, chapter 5, verse 1, it reads, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." The past week has been monumental for me in regards to freedom. I have struggled for years with bouts of depression and have always felt like a helpless victim to it. I believed that it was a dark cloud that slowly creeped over me and there was nothing that I could do about. I tried medication but it made me feel very disconnected from my passions in life and it didn't help the depression either. I actually received more relief from changing my diet and being more steadfast in my relationship with Christ. Last week I turned fifty four and there was a big part of me that wanted to look back at those past years and think of them as a sad waste. But, God gave me a fantastic birthday gift this year and opened my mind to some new truths!
Last Thursday I was at bible study and one of the women there said something that changed me. She said, "Stop thinking like the Greeks. They would look at everything and wonder, "Where is the reasoning in that?" We must think like Gods people, like the Jews did, and ask instead, "Where can I see God in that?" I had been exhausting myself all my life with a deep rooted need to understand not only the things in my own life but also why there was so much pain and suffering in the entire globe! This week God reached into me and spoke to the deepest part of my psyche, bringing me an awakening of His fathomless love. He knew I was finally ready to hear it, that I had finally put my anger on His alter and wanted to sacrifice it to Him. I was willing to let Him change me.
We all have operating assumptions (OA) that we default to whenever we become perplexed. Someone may find themselves in a conversation where they might have to start taking responsibility for some of their actions so they would resort to their OA of responding with, "I don't know what to tell you! That's just the way I am!" or "I never do that! You're crazy!" and so on. This week the Holy Spirit shined a bright light on one of mine! Whenever a situation would happen where I felt uncertain, overwhelmed, discouraged, afraid....I would withdraw into depression so I wouldn't have to deal with it. It was also a safe zone for me to have a place to gather my thoughts and re-group for whatever was coming. Well, more of a not-so-safe-zone since it was a defense mechanism rather than a coping mechanism. Albeit, OA's can be a constructive, positive way of dealing with changes that are required of us or they can be destructive and negative, where they not only hurt us but those around us!
God showed me that I had to change my OA's or else I was doomed to a life of self victimization. I saw first hand how much God loves me and wants me free of ANY yoke of slavery! I had one of my worse storms of depression after this epiphany and it knocked me down at first but the Holy Spirit would not let the work He had begun in me to not be completed!(Phil 1:6). I felt it as it happened, He opened up areas of reality in my mind and for the first time, I got out of bed, stood up and said to myself, "I wonder what would happen if I didn't go into that depression? What if I didn't default to my old way?, so I pressed onward to see, and praise God, it wasn't the horror that I thought it would be! All those years the enemy (satan) had me believing the lie that it was too scary to face my fears. On the other side of that dark, creeky, cob-web covered door...........was light and hope and joy! I challenged my OA and found that the most frightening place was where I was holding myself prisoner, in my own fears.
What bars are you behind? People are living their lives with strongholds that are keeping them from all that God desires for them. Is your prison a sexual one, filled with pornography, unclean thoughts or maybe infidelity and lies? Do you harbor fantasies that if exposed you would be humiliated? Some live lives of denial and never grow. Some are so angry that they have no peace and won't allow those around them any either. There are prison bars of secret abuse, alcohol, drugs, slothfulness, gluttony (how many of you use food as your drug?). We can be held captive by envy, jealousy, hatred toward others or self, unforgiveness, pride. Or, maybe you are a liar or live live in a prison of guilt and shame. I don't have to pick just one because I suffer with many and that's precisely why we need a Savior! If you don't think so then ponder for a moment on how many "things" or "people" that you idolize with your TIME all while you're ignoring the Lover of your soul, Jesus, who sacrificed His own life for you.
Matthew 11:29 reads, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Compare that to all the junk we stuff our life and bodies with! Matthew 6:33....Seek first His kingdom and righteousness and all these other things will be given to you. God came for the sinners not the shiny! Bring your problems, your trash, your filth....to Him and He will honor that obedience with an outpouring of His boundless love, compassion and limitless power to help you to overcome anything! Stop living in the dark, the lies, the fears and go through that frightening door to find salvation, light, grace, mercy, healing and love. God wants you to be free of the yoke of slavery and He wants to have a relationship with you. If you want your religion to be a living relationship then say this prayer:
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
There is no place too low for the Savior to bring love and light and show you the way out....if you would just ask Him.
Last Thursday I was at bible study and one of the women there said something that changed me. She said, "Stop thinking like the Greeks. They would look at everything and wonder, "Where is the reasoning in that?" We must think like Gods people, like the Jews did, and ask instead, "Where can I see God in that?" I had been exhausting myself all my life with a deep rooted need to understand not only the things in my own life but also why there was so much pain and suffering in the entire globe! This week God reached into me and spoke to the deepest part of my psyche, bringing me an awakening of His fathomless love. He knew I was finally ready to hear it, that I had finally put my anger on His alter and wanted to sacrifice it to Him. I was willing to let Him change me.
We all have operating assumptions (OA) that we default to whenever we become perplexed. Someone may find themselves in a conversation where they might have to start taking responsibility for some of their actions so they would resort to their OA of responding with, "I don't know what to tell you! That's just the way I am!" or "I never do that! You're crazy!" and so on. This week the Holy Spirit shined a bright light on one of mine! Whenever a situation would happen where I felt uncertain, overwhelmed, discouraged, afraid....I would withdraw into depression so I wouldn't have to deal with it. It was also a safe zone for me to have a place to gather my thoughts and re-group for whatever was coming. Well, more of a not-so-safe-zone since it was a defense mechanism rather than a coping mechanism. Albeit, OA's can be a constructive, positive way of dealing with changes that are required of us or they can be destructive and negative, where they not only hurt us but those around us!
God showed me that I had to change my OA's or else I was doomed to a life of self victimization. I saw first hand how much God loves me and wants me free of ANY yoke of slavery! I had one of my worse storms of depression after this epiphany and it knocked me down at first but the Holy Spirit would not let the work He had begun in me to not be completed!(Phil 1:6). I felt it as it happened, He opened up areas of reality in my mind and for the first time, I got out of bed, stood up and said to myself, "I wonder what would happen if I didn't go into that depression? What if I didn't default to my old way?, so I pressed onward to see, and praise God, it wasn't the horror that I thought it would be! All those years the enemy (satan) had me believing the lie that it was too scary to face my fears. On the other side of that dark, creeky, cob-web covered door...........was light and hope and joy! I challenged my OA and found that the most frightening place was where I was holding myself prisoner, in my own fears.
What bars are you behind? People are living their lives with strongholds that are keeping them from all that God desires for them. Is your prison a sexual one, filled with pornography, unclean thoughts or maybe infidelity and lies? Do you harbor fantasies that if exposed you would be humiliated? Some live lives of denial and never grow. Some are so angry that they have no peace and won't allow those around them any either. There are prison bars of secret abuse, alcohol, drugs, slothfulness, gluttony (how many of you use food as your drug?). We can be held captive by envy, jealousy, hatred toward others or self, unforgiveness, pride. Or, maybe you are a liar or live live in a prison of guilt and shame. I don't have to pick just one because I suffer with many and that's precisely why we need a Savior! If you don't think so then ponder for a moment on how many "things" or "people" that you idolize with your TIME all while you're ignoring the Lover of your soul, Jesus, who sacrificed His own life for you.
Matthew 11:29 reads, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Compare that to all the junk we stuff our life and bodies with! Matthew 6:33....Seek first His kingdom and righteousness and all these other things will be given to you. God came for the sinners not the shiny! Bring your problems, your trash, your filth....to Him and He will honor that obedience with an outpouring of His boundless love, compassion and limitless power to help you to overcome anything! Stop living in the dark, the lies, the fears and go through that frightening door to find salvation, light, grace, mercy, healing and love. God wants you to be free of the yoke of slavery and He wants to have a relationship with you. If you want your religion to be a living relationship then say this prayer:
Father in heaven, You gave your precious Son's life up for me so that I could be free. Free from the bondage of the enemy, free from lingering strongholds, free from death. I want to invite your Son into my heart to be my Savior and into my life to be my Lord. I confess that I am a sinner and that no matter how good of a person I am, it is only by the spilt blood of Your Son that I can be saved. I don't want to be a slave to anything or anyone but You. Everything You did, all that You do and all that You are going to do are done in love and done for your children. Thank you for adopting me and making me Your own from this day forward. Amen
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
There is no place too low for the Savior to bring love and light and show you the way out....if you would just ask Him.
