Unshackled Moments ~ October 16 ~ Don't Hold Back

We come to that place where we realize and understand that we can't manage, control our lives or create one that is worth living. The things that we have turned to in order to try to fill the emptiness in our soul and distract or numb the misery, fear and anger have not only eventually failed, but they have taken charge and are now running the show instead of us. We are captives who can't break free.

But as hopeless as that situation seems, it is not, because as we realized we have no hope in ourselves we came to believe that there is a God who has the power we don't, who has the ability to restore us to sanity and give us a life worth living. Not only does He have the power to do so, it is His greatest desire. In fact, He wanted relationship with us so much that He sacrificed His Only Son on the cross so that we could be redeemed, bought from our captivity, and adopted into His family, restored in relationship with Him.

We surrender our will and our lives to His care and discover that life is better when you give it up. Odd but true that surrender is the path to victory and you have to die to live. Still, as true as we find it that life is better when we die to self and live for Christ, there is still a struggle. That old nature, the cursed mind does not want to die, does not want to surrender control to God. So all too often we surrender just enough, we sacrifice self just enough, we become servants just enough to break those heavy chains, the addictions and behaviors that are killing us and destroying our lives and relationships. We take the edge off the misery and rejoice in our freedom, but we hold onto the reins in other areas.

Life looks better. It feels better. We find ourselves free to say no to those things that were filling our life with death and destruction that we couldn't say no to before. We are far less selfish, and people actually begin to see us as good, kind and caring people rather than selfish narcissistic jerks. We care for our families and keep our word. But less selfish and not jerks is not quite the truly submissive servant. We want to hold on to that last bit of mine.

Then life begins to overwhelm us. No, we're not drinking or drugging or gambling or whatever our chains were, but the fear and uncertainty of the world is pulling us toward misery. Life, home, the job, some area, or even more than one area, is out of control, and we're beginning to drive ourselves to distraction trying to manage it and provide the illusion that we are handling things. But it's a mistake. If we fight that needless and pointless fight long enough we may not only lose the battle but find ourselves once again prisoners of war, returning to the things that once had us bound.

But what we need to remember is how, although it didn't make sense and frightened us, the truth is we are freer, more satisfied, content and happy, when we are surrendered. Killing our will and sacrificing our illusion of and desire for control along with the rest of us, the good and the bad, on the altar for God to do with as He wills. That is the only way to find peace and a entire life worth living. We don't just want freedom from our addictions and our major sins. We want to be totally and completely free and full of joy and peace and aware of His love for us and loving others.

That comes with total and complete surrender, when we stop holding onto anything that is not of Him, from Him and for Him. The God who loves us enough to give us His power and His grace to walk free is also more powerful than all the other things that so easily overwhelm us. He is more certain than all  the uncertainty of life and the world combined. He is more for us than everything that is against us, even our own desires. He is more forgiving and merciful than the world is cruel. He is bigger than our biggest problems, struggles and fears. His is more than a higher power that helps us not do this or that, He is a good and loving God who has made us His own and wants to give us a life more satisfying than we could ever imagine. Don't hold back. Let go of the last little bit of self that we instinctively either hold back or take back. Give Him everything and see how much better life can be.



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