Breaking the Broken.

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.

So, a new blog! Surprise! This one is quite a bit different from my other blog, I really want this blog to focus on improving the health of our souls.

Goodness that sounds a bit strange. The title of this blog sounds a bit morbid too. Its really not. What I mean by "Breaking the broken" is, breaking the spirit of brokenness upon a person. The Bible says,

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, because the LORD has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD's favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. For the LORD has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory." - Isaiah 61:1-4

Jesus came to set captives free. I've learned that someone in captivity is a person who is being kept from life's fullness. Brokenness, being broken by anything, keeps us from life's fullness.

And sometimes, brokenness can lead to life. God can use it to lead us back to Him. One thing I know for sure is, if His plan does include allowing us to be broken, He'll restore us more abundantly than we can ever imagine.

I can't wait to start writing more! Hopefully we'll have some good discussion, and really draw close to God through what we talk about!

So, as this new chapter of my life is openend, and this new blog is started, I pray that people will be freed from their brokenness in their lives, and, if anyone encounters brokenness along this journey of life, that this blog will help put things in perspective a bit more.

Blessings!