It is For Freedom Christ Set Us Free

Any thing that you are worried about or have fear and anxiety over is under the influence of a lie from the enemy in some way.  His job description is to steal, kill, and destroy.  Most of the things we worry about, are afraid of, or are anxious about are rooted in lies we learned very early on.

I have another chart that I give out to my clients that helps identify the lies and the entities that are probably involved with them.  We don't really know the names of most entities, but we refer to them by their function.  For example:  shame.  Some of the lies that shame might tell us are, "I'm so stupid, I shouldn't have done that.", "I've gained weight and everyone will think I'm lazy.", or "I should be a better ___, I'm worthless."

The biggest difficulty is to discover what the lie is, which is what an inner healing session can help with (contact me if you would like more information about a session with me).  Or if you have a friend discerning, bold, and courageous enough, they might tell you.  But, one technique anyone can do that I find successful, is to ask God to show or tell me what it is.  Sometimes, He gives me a picture, or I'll have a dream, or He will whisper it softly to me.  He always does so with kindness, gentleness, and great love.  He wants us to get rid of these lies so that we can experience the freedom that Jesus died to give us.

Once we discover what the lie is, it's a simple process to break it off:  repent, rebuke, kick the enemy out, and declare the truth.  So, let's take something obvious as an example, and I'll show you how to break off those lies.  Let's say that I believed the lie that "I'm stupid."  The base emotion for that would be shame, and so that's how we'll identify the enemy involved.  I would pray something like this:

Father, forgive me for believing the lie that I'm stupid.  I repent of believing that lie, and I revoke all agreement with the spirit of shame.  I gather up this spirit of shame, and any others with it, and I cast them to the cross of Jesus.  I place the blood of Jesus between all of them and me, and declare that I have the mind of Christ.  I am intelligent and able to learn and make good decisions.  Father, help me to believe this truth.

Repeat as needed.

Sometimes, one round of such a prayer is enough, and the lie doesn't bother us again.  For sure we have kicked out that spirit of shame, because of the authority we have in Christ, but there are others.  Sometimes, we need to continue to break off the lies and declare the truth because we have a habit of that thought pattern.  So, if the lie rears its head again, just pray the prayer again, and keep on doing so until the lie no longer troubles you.  Declaring the truth out loud, often, is another good way to shift those thought patterns.

And, here's a key:  Do NOT get into guilt and condemnation because it wasn't "fixed" instantly.  You've probably believed these lies for a long time, it may take time to rewire that part of your brain with the truth!  The Bible says that God counts up our righteousness and forgets our sins.  Let's be more like Him and make note of the times that we succeed...and by succeed, I mean make any sort of progress.  If that lie used to cross your mind 1000 times a day, you are winning if it only does so 500 times!  If you focus on that win, soon it will be 100, then 50, then 10, then 5 and then, suddenly, you will find that you rarely, if ever, hear it!

And this, my friend, is freedom indeed!

FORGIVENESS

forgive quickly any new offenses and to continue to forgive those things that try to come back up.  Unforgiveness is a serious issue, and one that will hold you in serious bondage.  Peter asked Jesus how often he should forgive his brother.  Jesus tells this parable to answer the question:

Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. "When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. "But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. "So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.' "And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' "So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' "But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. "So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. "Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."  Matthew 18:21-35, NASB

Note, that the slave who refused to forgive was handed over to the torturers...  That bondage is the natural consequence of not forgiving.  Even the medical communities are discovering what Jesus alluded to 2000 years ago.  Unforgiveness puts your body in a state of stress and pressure which then can result in diseases of all kinds.  Not good!

I grew up with the idea that forgiveness was all or nothing, you either forgave, or you didn't.  However, I've now learned that forgiveness is a process more than a one time event, especially for very hurtful things.  When ever those memories and feelings resurface, I must choose to forgive again.  It may be that I am reminding myself of my choice to forgive, but either way, I find I need to do this more than just once.

As you declare forgiveness, ask God to heal the hurt of those events.  This is a piece that I missed for quite a while.  It's the same premise that the spiritual world, as well as the natural, abhors a vacuum.  It's not enough to just clean out the bad, I want to fill up those areas with the good to be well and truly healed.

This is primarily a transaction between you and God, not you and the person.  It may be good to go to the person and express your forgiveness, but not always is that wise or safe.  Forgiveness doesn't mean a regain of trust and relationship, either, necessarily.  If a person has shown themselves to be untrustworthy, you can forgive them and yet still maintain healthy boundaries.  Forgiveness doesn't mean that everything is okay, it means that you are set free from the torment of unforgiveness!

FIND YOUR COMMUNITY

find a community of believers.  The important piece of this, is to find a group with whom you can connect in a meaningful way.  Finding people who know you well, and are able and willing to speak into your life.  We were not created to do life alone.  God, Himself, was not content with just being the Trinity, but He created humans for friendship's sake.
The typical place to find a group of believers that one thinks of is church.  I write this with some trepidation, because I know that for many of us, church has been a place of our greatest woundings.  The body of Christ can be vicious to its own...  So, for the purposes of this post, I'm referring to a broader concept of the church, than just going to a building on Sunday morning.

How do we go about finding people to be in relationship with who are like-minded believers?  By like-minded, I don't mean who think exactly like you.  I personally find that to be very dull.  I enjoy hearing and learning about different perspectives.  But, it is important to have a solid foundation on the basics of what you believe, and the direction you want to head.  If I am wanting to become more like Christ, then I need to align myself with others on the same path.

This might be a home church, or a small Bible study, the local house of prayer, or something of that nature.  Ask God to show you where to go and with whom to connect.  Micro-church is a term I've been hearing a lot lately.  If you can't find one, maybe you can start one!  Gather with a friend or two and watch a webcast of a service, maybe.

I think that we need to recognize that people are not perfect, Christian or not, and if we are expecting them to be, then we are a part of the problem.  Should Christians be better at loving others?  Absolutely!  Jesus is our example and whom we should emulate.  But none of us get it right all of the time.  So, forgive and give grace when needed....and make sure that you're doing your best to love others, believers and not, well.  I'm referring here to honest mistakes, not toxic patterns of behavior.

We also need to know that not all groups are safe places, and we should carefully choose the one we wish to attend.  Some leaders are controlling and manipulative and should be avoided.  Some tolerate toxic behavior from group members.  If you run across one of those, try somewhere else.  They are, in my experience, not super common, thankfully!  Again, there is a difference in growing and pursuing healthy behavioral choices.  Mistakes are bound to happen, but pay attention to how those are dealt with by leadership.  This may take time to discover.

Not only may the right group take time to find, but it may take time to develop a relationship with the people in that group.  Don't give up too quickly.  If the group appears to be healthy, and they are people who are encouraging one another to grow, and you have some things in common, then give it time to become your place of connection.  By time, I don't just mean days and months, but I mean minutes and hours spent with them and interacting with them.

As one who has been very introverted (I'm slowly growing into more of an ambivert), I know the temptation to just go and sit in a corner and call that good.  Unfortunately, I also know from experience that this does not work well at all.  So it is also important to consider the size of the group.  Especially for those of us introverts, smaller is better.  But for everyone, it is more important to have a few core people, than many around us who only know the surface.

What I hope that you take away from this, is that there is a need for all of us to find someone who can encourage us in our healing journey, in our life and relationship with God, and that we can do the same for them.  If you find several, that's even better, however and where ever that may be.  They may take some searching to find, but it will be worth it!

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

exercise your spiritual giftings.  There are many different tests that you can take that will help you discover your giftings.

My personal opinion, is that these tests are good as far as they go.  But, I think that any and all giftings can be utilized by the Spirit. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (NASB)

So, I'm going to cast my net a bit broader than what is typically covered in spiritual gifts tests. I'll use myself as an example. The photo at the top of the post, is a painting that I created during worship. I have found that I connect the best to God, and feel his pleasure the most, when I am engaged in creative pursuits.

The only time that this is not the case, is when I have bought a lie or have some other sin issue that is hindering my relationship with God. So that's my cue to seek His face, and discover what it is and to get rid of it.

I believe that this would be true of whatever our particular gifting would be. If it is normally easy for us to serve others, or to teach, or to solve problems, or to do whatever it is that we are good at; and things are getting more difficult, then this can be a cue for us to check and make sure that there is nothing getting in our way.

Our giftings also help to keep us connected to the greater body of Christ, which as was discussed in the last item, is also helpful. It also assists us to take the focus off of ourselves and onto others around us, where ever we utilize them. For example, I believe that God releases more of what He wants to in a gathering of believers when a piece of art is created, so when I post my work or paint live, I am allowing others to benefit from my encounter with God. (To follow my adventures, and see some of my other work, you can also follow my other blog at alicearlene.com)

I've never seen painting on one of the spiritual giftings tests, so don't be limited to what you see there if you choose to do one of the tests. That would be a great question to ask of the Lord during your journaling or quiet time.

The Journey to Freedom

Freedom is a process, a journey, and to give yourself grace and mercy to not get it all right.  Don't try to do everything at once, just begin somewhere and keep moving forward.  If you trip and fall, repent and move on.

This has been one of the most difficult things for me in my journey, but since I've adopted this as a strategy, the rewards have been remarkable.  One of the best ways I've found to do this, is to celebrate every little bit of progress, regardless of how small it seems.  I had a lifelong habit of being very hard on myself.  Perfectionism is a brutal master under whom to be enslaved.  It always focuses on what you haven't done and how far you still have to go.

I first heard about this technique, or at least it first started to sink in, from Abi Stumvoll.  She taught at Bethel, Redding one evening, and I caught the live stream.  She celebrates all of her victories.  All of her successes.  Even the small ones.  She said that when ever she did something that she wanted to do, as opposed to not doing it, she was winning.  So, if I go for a walk, I’m winning!  If I only go twice this week, I’m winning!  It’s more than I would have done if I hadn’t gone.

Abi said that success was motivating, and I’m finding that to be true.  I mean, seriously, does castigating yourself ever make you want to do better next time?  It just makes me want to crawl into a hole and hide.  Because why should I bother?  I'm losing...

So, what does this look like for me?

I can get upset with myself because I bought another lie of the enemy.  I can get overwhelmed and discouraged that there is so much to get free from and it's going so slowly.  Or, I can rejoice that I spoke the truth over myself.  I'm winning!  And, I read 5 verses in my Bible yesterday.  I’m winning!  Or maybe I went 10 minutes without a negative thought.

You will notice that I did not say that I always listen to the truth, or that I always read 5 chapters a day in my Bible.  What I haven't done, isn't the point.  The point is I have done something towards my goals.  I'm winning!

And, as I rejoice in the small accomplishments, do you know what happens?  They become bigger ones.  I begin to look for the small steps that I can do, and do them, instead of getting discouraged.  An example of that is taking one of the items of this freedom guide, or something that I heard from God and focus on doing that once.  If I do, I’m winning!  Maybe I'll do it twice tomorrow, I'm winning!  If I do it three times next week, but twice the week after, I'm still winning!  That's better than before I started when I didn't ever do it. Do you see how fun this is?!