All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Bondage
The Bible says that God is close to the brokenhearted and that He binds up all our wounds. There are some wounds that run so deep for people who were traumatized repeatedly throughout their lives. Even being a Christian isn't a protection as we can all tell from the story of Joyce Meyers. She was saved at the age of I believe 8 and yet repeatedly molested while praying for God to get her out of that situation, and it messed her up for a lot of years even as an adult.
There are also verses about being set free from bondage, and yet we see some that are set free the day they accept Christ and others who struggle many many years, some a lifetime.
There are verses about armor and casting down thoughts, and yet there are people who have a harder time doing that than others for medical reasons, traumatic reasons, whatever the case may be who don't seem to be standing on as equal a ground with those who were perhaps raised by loving Christian parents in a good home environment.
So my question is...how do we put all that together and try to find the solution to breaking bondage when the Bible does clearly say that only God can break all our chains. And if we truly want Him to do that, and we pray and pray for it, and do all we can to work towards change, yet remain in agonizing bondage to the programming we were fed by life situations, do we then look towards the passages of perhaps Christ going to the cross even if He didn't quite want to die anymore than anyone would...He did it because there was a bigger reason for it? Yet I cannot see the reason for a person suffering in their mind from bondages or how it brings glory to God if they are never healed or if it takes many years for healing. I just keep missing on this one and would like to gain some kind of understanding of it.
I'm not talking your better known sins of drunkenness, etc. But the sins of anger, irritation, worry, anxiety, depression, etc. Those things that are a sinful thing, but that the individuals truly feel they cannot control no matter how desperately they have tried to, how much they have prayed for healing, had prayers said over them, etc. People who have been counseled and everything, yet they are still tied into those bondages. Even Joyce Meyers took something like 20+ years of her adult life to break out of those cycles instilled in her childhood, and all the time praying for it, all the time a Christian. Those who don't spend a lifetime as a Christian can find it even harder. And it still doesn't explain those who seem to receive instant healing.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Carla on
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In regards to Joy, there are a few questions we can ask ourselves. As we answer them we may find that we actually do have Joy. It doesn't look or feel like happiness because it has nothing to do with our circumstances.
Try answering these questions:
1) Can you rejoice in the truth that your name is written in God's book from the foundations of the world? (Luke 10:17-20)
2) When you read the scriptures, are you pleasantly surprised at new discoveries in the scriptures and new revelations? (Luke 10:21; Matt 13:44; Matt 28:8--afraid yet joyful)
3) Can you accept and drink in the truth that you are delivered and rescued out of the hand of the enemy? Can you accept that you are not forsaken and you never will be? (psalm 71:20,23)
4) Are you clinging to Jesus? Clinging and Abiding in Him brings Joy. (John 15:1-17)
5) How do you feel about brothers and sisters In Christ? Does it bring you joy to know their testimonies and their victories? Does their obedience and victory make you joyful? (Philem 7)
This is where Joy is found, not in our circumstances. We've got to take our eyes off of our circumstances and turn them on to Jesus--He is the source of our joy.
(there are others scriptures regarding these things, I have given a few)
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Permalink Reply by Seek on
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Well the pastor actually brought that up Wednesday night...joy isn't the same as happiness. But there's no easy answer to your questions:
1) Can you rejoice in the truth that your name is written in God's book from the foundations of the world? (Luke 10:17-20)
When I'm not in depression and know it is. When I'm in depression, every negative thought, including the feelings that I've somehow missed it, are blaring so loudly in my mind that i cannot shut them out and there's no rejoicing about anything, just an internal agony.
2) When you read the scriptures, are you pleasantly surprised at new discoveries in the scriptures and new revelations? (Luke 10:21; Matt 13:44; Matt 28:8--afraid yet joyful)
Sometimes. And it again goes to depressed or not. Sometimes I try to read even though I'm depressed, hoping it will lift me out of it. Yet in doing so, it's like my mind veers toward everything there in a negative light. IE: If it says only the blameless and the upright will dwell in the Holy place....my mind is screaming no way am I blameless and upright and it's an accusing internal finger pressing on the nerve. I don't get anything uplifting from it when that cloud is there.
3) Can you accept and drink in the truth that you are delivered and rescued out of the hand of the enemy? Can you accept that you are not forsaken and you never will be? (psalm 71:20,23)
Same as the first two.
4) Are you clinging to Jesus? Clinging and Abiding in Him brings Joy. (John 15:1-17)
When I just sit quietly and listen to Him, I am at peace. But then? The world intervenes. I have to get ready for work, face the next migraine, bone spurs, muscle spasm, etc., while forcing myself to go to the office because I have responsibilities when all I want to do is crawl back in bed and wrap the heating pad back around my neck/back/head/bleeding ear, etc. just so I can pull out another stack of bills even working doesn't seem to keep up with, hating to miss even a service and dragging in to church so sick so often anymore because it's easier than having to fight with my son throwing a fit because he missed kids' church when I'm too sick to fight with him and just wishing someone would come pick him up for a few hours and let me sleep...if I can. And somehow everything I felt God said is just so overblown by all the heartaches and pains and stress of trying to juggle just one more thing.
5) How do you feel about brothers and sisters In Christ? Does it bring you joy to know their testimonies and their victories? Does their obedience and victory make you joyful? (Philem 7)
It brings me joy and is the only way I think I keep hoping that one day my own situation is going to turn around because it did for others. Sometimes I have to find such stories and read them just to keep from feeling hopeless.
So does any of that make sense?
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Permalink Reply by Richard L. Broch, Sr. on
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Dear Seek,
I've been following this post with great interest. Seems to me a lot of brothers and sisters in the Kingdom have these types of issues going on in their lives. But you are able to share them in your own unique way.......amen.
You've had some excellent posts from friends on your situation.......particularly Carla, Amanda, Chris........and it was good to see Scribe D and Kay stopping by.
So, you've given me the text of this Sunday's message. The Holy Spirit helped me put together - "Unconditional Surrender".
A brief synopsis is based on Mark 10: 28-31. Basically, this should be one's motive and purpose for coming to Christ - For His sake, and for the gospel's sake....We are secondary. But this is God's show....He's the boss, and we work for Him.
Verse 30 talks about Persecutions, and earthly ties. .....and then in the age to come - eternal life.
Char, the only thing(repeat, only thing) we have to give to the Lord upon entering the Kingdom is.........our pitiful self.
Romans 12:1, : I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (N.A.S.B.). Unconditional surrender.
God will engineer the circumstances of our lives from there. Will there be trials, tests, rough spots? You bettcha......cause the world hates us.....and God wants to see how He can use us in the big picture of things. Compare Joseph.....all he suffered....and then where he wound up.
Think of swimming in a large body of water (the world). There are sharks and barracuda all around. But every once in a while (sometimes a l-o-n-g while) a friendly dolphin swings alongside, and gives us a lift (blessing...maybe like a couple of unexpected bonus checks....or whatever). Or........think of our life as taking out a type of life insurance. We make payments all our life.......but these payments are not monetary per se.....they are trials, tests of everyday life, along with spiritual service. We cash in on the policy at the Pearly Gate.
Look at the apostle Paul. He describes all the pains and problems that he had to deal with......as he spread the gospel, in II Corinthians, Chapter 11.
Time to get down from the pulpit.
I will keep you on my prayer list.
Grace and Peace.
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Well, can ya give me a little more than the title there. Cause when I hear “Unconditional Surrender”, I again feel as if people are saying I haven’t surrendered. And other than wanting to be completely surrendered and unsure of so much, God knows that’s exactly where I want to be and for all I am able to do of my own, am. Yet there is still all the external (and internal – ailments that have become a constant companion the last few years) that keeps gnawing at me as I have to deal with them on a daily basis and they simply wear me down to the point I have nothing left to do but cry to God about it and plead mercy, plead with Him to step in and alleviate some small portion somewhere so I can see above the clouds just for once after a long stretch of years. I keep thinking of both Joseph and David (who spent all those years on the run but finally was made the King he was promised he’d be), and Abraham, etc. etc. Yet a part of me keeps going back to...but they were all much better people at worship/service/etc. than I am and so will God really move like that in my life or am I missing the boat somewhere. And that is part of that bondage mindset, from someone who spent a lifetime being taught that love was someone with their own ulterior motives or all lies to get what they wanted. :-(
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Permalink Reply by ScribeD on
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Don't be too tough on yourself, Seek. God wants to reward your faith and faithfulness, not your duty. Faithfulness is an act of love. Duty, i think, is more about yourself than the recipient. I look at unconditional surrender as doing what God has asked you to do, forgetting the fears and noise, because you love Him and want Him to be glorified. I don't think He is glorified when we have a lot of anxiety and fret. I'm pretty sure that's what Jesus was talking about in Matthew ch 5 - 8.
Ask God to make a way. Then do what you believe you can prudently do to demonstrate your trust in His willingness to make a way. Then, act on that faith whenever you see something come open. God opens doors. I know that. But, we often have our eyes closed by anxiety and fear, so that we don't see those open doors.
God wants your faithfulness, not your fear. He delights in answering our faith when we just trust in Him.
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That's where I have an issue at Scribe. I keep trying to trust and yet this has been such a long dry (totally disastrous) season, it leaves me wondering if I'm faithful out of love or duty. All I DO know is that I came to a point where I decided I'd ruined my life and those around me and had proven without a doubt that I was going to mess up at whatever and so I wanted God to take over and help me be better, help me to be more joyful and not a complaining, irritable, selfish person. Sometimes I think, that's exactly what He's been doing through all these troubles, and yet the troubles are so overwhelming, they throw me into this deep depression at times, where all trust and belief is so covered under by a thick cloud of negatives that I cannot see my way out or find any hope. I feel hopeless at those points and all I can do is just cry endlessly. And it takes so long after a bout of it to pull back up into some semblance of normalcy again.
I keep asking Him. And He keeps on telling me it's growth and takes time. Yet I'm more impatient with the slow progress of change in myself than just about anything.
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Permalink Reply by a servant (Chris) on
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Seek
I want to share with you what I see in these lines, you have shared. "...so I wanted God to take over and help me be better, help me to be more joyful and not a complaining, irritable, selfish person. Sometimes I think, that's exactly what He's been doing through all these troubles, and yet the troubles are so overwhelming, they throw me into this deep depression at times, where all trust and belief is so covered under by a thick cloud of negatives that I cannot see my way out or find any hope." This has been shared before, yet it does hold Wisdom so, it is worth sharing again and again. When we ask to be more joyful, He makes arrangements for us to choose to be joyful. As it also goes with other things we desire. It may appear "unfair or to difficult" for us to handle. However, Faith grows stronger when we put all we have into what, we cannot see, feel, or touch. As you had heard and seen where I have shared before. I believe in Healing even though I have not been Healed. Have laid hands on others, seen His Grace and Mercy in their Healing. Jesus told him, "Is it because you've seen me that you have believed? How blessed are those who have never seen me and yet have believed!" John 20:29
5 You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this,t though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials 7 so that the genuineness of your faith — more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls 1Pet 1:5-9
What really matters is, we continue to believe. We know Hope is based on what we do not see. You are truly getting attacked by the enemy, with the negative. I guess I what to encourage you to see this as well, if you were not a threat chances are you would not be attacked. Never forget All things have their seasons. Know this, Jesus will calm the wind and seas when, they attack as we travel with Him. You are stronger by far than you can now see. You are Loved.
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Problem is Chris, I know this. But when I do get under that depression, all that is so buried inside that I can't bring it to the surface and I hate being under that cloud like that cause I so want to move away from negativity, and I do manage to, until the cloud comes on and it pulls me down to a pit of nothing but negative thoughts and all I can manage to do is just cry over it all. I feel hopeless at those points and don't want to feel that way. I can tell myself it's satan attacking all I want, and yet the negative thoughts remain and won't go away.
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Seek
Always know you are Loved. We all get negative at times; we all have struggles others seem only to excel. You have it more difficult than most. You are in our thoughts and Prayers.
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I've thought that at times too, but then I think about those in 3rd world countries. Do I REALLY have it more difficult than most? But I guess what they can handle is different than what I can. ::sigh::
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Seek
As The Gift of Jesus is refined in us. As all the Gifts we are given by The Father, and The Gift of The Spirit. As All These are refined in us, as we die to the flesh. Which are opposed to All Things of God. One of the reasons we are not to judge others, is we do not know their heart as God does. For the most part, the more difficult times we go through, the more refined we are. As we go through them, with and for Jesus. Remember, when we surrender as YOU HAVE AND DO SEEK, THE PROOF IS FOUND IN THE WORDS YOU SHARE. So as we surrender and trust, the refining process is most effective. Is it hard? You live the answer to that question.
And yes when I hear, read, and discover all what 3rd world countries; all the people; all Brothers and Sisters go through each and every day. I am convicted and feel I should never complain. Yet, again what we go through, we will receive when we are Called Home.
You know my situation and I know parts of yours. I am very sensitive to yours. Never forget, what we go through refines us. In the end it will define who and what we are, unto The Lord. Once we are Born Again, we are not of this place. We will be Called Home, then all this will be worth the pain we have gone through.
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