Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 18, 2018
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17
Lately I have been thinking about Jesus’ promise in John 8:32, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
I have also been thinking that if the truth sets us free, then lies will keep us bound. And, that lies can prevent us from fulfilling God’s purposes for our lives.
Here’s what I mean.
There were events that happened in your life when you were small, that even though they could have been considered inconsequential at the time, shaped how you think about yourself, God, others, and how you interact with the world around you.
For example, perhaps when you were growing up, you heard your father repeatedly admire others who were talented and always say, “Some people are just more blessed than others.”
When you heard this, your heart accepted the lie that being talented was for everyone else outside your family, and that you would never be truly talented at anything. So, what have you always done as a result? You haven’t tried to develop your God-given talents because being talented is for others but definitely not for you.
Perhaps your parents always struggled to make ends meet and you grew up watching them wrestle with barely making it, so you decided at a very young age, without even realizing it, that risk taking is just not a good idea.
So now, as an adult, even though you have a deep desire to fulfill the work God has created for you to accomplish, you wrestle with control and trusting Jesus. So, rather than step out in faith to fulfill a new venture God is calling you to, you insist on “playing it safe” and always staying in control.
As children—or even as adults—when we interpreted our experiences with God’s truth, then we could grow into more of who He has designed us to be.
When we interpreted our experiences with lies, or assigned meaning to our experiences that was not from God, we could be held back from accomplishing what He has created for us to do.
If the truth sets you free, then lies will keep you bound.
But, hallelujah, you don’t have to be bound! There is freedom in Christ and through Christ, we can break the strongholds in our thinking.
Do you feel stuck in some aspect of your life, perhaps in your relationships, your calling, or your faith? Ask the Lord to reveal to you if you are believing any lies that are keeping you from serving Him fully. Then, replace the lies with the truth and act according to that truth.
You can be set free to be all God desires for you to be.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4)
Prayer
Lord, oh how I praise you that with you, all things are possible. Help me to be ruled by your truth and act in your truth. Thank you for enabling me to accomplish all you have called me to. Amen.
Application
Take a few moments and think about the phrases you heard growing up, or the patterns in your family of origin that could be holding you back from accomplishing God’s will. Ask the Lord to reveal His truth to you and write down what you learn in a journal. Then, praise Him for giving you His wisdom.
Related Reading
Ephesians 6:13-18; 2 Corinthians 3:5; John 17:17
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