Hey Everyone!
Okay, I'm like the worst secondary blogger in the world! Ah! I'm sorry I haven' written on this thing in awhile.
I wanted to talk a bit about bondage tonight. I love a Christian walk. I love the term, "Christian walk". I think it so perfectly defines life and our relationship with God. In my own life I certainly have had major ups where I just coast through life and my relationship with God is strong and unwavering, and I've had downs where I've had to really climb hills and mountains and struggle to maintain my relationship with God. There have been times where I've fallen into sin, or depression and I've had to make a conscious decision to get back up and follow God.
I have so many wonderful friends that God has blessed me with, and I've seen them go through trials and be enslaved to some sort of bondage in their lives. I've also had the privilege of walking with my friends through their struggles and seeing God do amazing things in their lives.
Bondage can be anything that is keeping you from feeling God's joy. It can stem from bad relationship, downheartedness, brokenness, legalism, and also from sin. I've seen a lot in my life, and in other's lives that particularly past sin can keep someone in bondage. Even after you've repented and asked God's forgiveness and moved on, the memory of the past can keep you down. It can keep you from God's joy.
I've found that the only way I can bring myself out of bondage is to first recognize that I'm in bondage. I have to pray sometimes and ask God to search me. My first hint is if I'm feeling depressed or discouraged about something. Depression and discouragement have no part with God. Once I realize why I'm depressed or discouraged I have to make a decision to give whatever it is that is bothering me to God. Sometimes, surrender can be the hardest part of our relationship with the Lord. I think its flawed human nature that makes us want to hold on to things and stay in complete control. God should be in control, that is His nature. But that means that we open ourselves up to vulnerability when we allow God to be in control of any situation. I'm learning as life goes on that everytime I give something to God, in the end He totally blesses it.
So I challenge everyone to take a look at their life and see if you're in bondage to anything. Ask God to reveal to you if anything is keeping you from His joy. Then I encourage you to surrender it. Jesus came to set the captives free, and He will always be faithful to fulfill His promises to us.
.jpg)