Unshackled Moments ~ October 17 ~ What Lies Beneath

My wife and I live in the country. OK, technically that  isn't true. We're a few blocks from the center of a community that has a city limit sign and everything. It's not a city though.  It's not even a town. It's an accumulation of houses and property with one, too expensive, convenience store, a volunteer fire department and no  restaurants, medical care or trash pick up. Because of that last one, we have a burn pile where I burn the trash.  Of course some things, like metal and glass and such, won't burn and have to be removed. But what will burn is torched.

The thing is, sometimes even what will burn or should burn doesn't. Maybe there was something too wet in the garbage can, or the way the trash is piled up causes the fire to smother itself rather than consume, and sometimes the fire just doesn't want to stay lit because of the way the wind is blowing or because the path of the flames takes it away from what needs to be burned and to the leftovers of old fires instead. Regardless of the reason, even though the trash is burned regularly, the pile begins to grow over time as what should have been burned away survives the flames.

Now instead of a pile of ash, there is a pile of trash. If it is ignored, it will only grow worse. That old trash must be reduced to ash to keep the burn pile from getting too big and starting to stink. So every other week or so I take a stick and stir through the remains of fires past. This shifts the rubble and exposes things that didn't completely burn. Then I add fuel that will not go out quickly and will burn hotter than just lighting another bag of trash would burn.  When that is set aflame the old refuse is destroyed. Even if only a small percentage of what I try to burn doesn't, over time it becomes a huge mess.

The principle behind the burn pile is why we must continue and regularly take personal inventory. I understand that I have asked God to remove this sin, this  habit, this character defect from my life, and progress has been made. I am grateful that the fire of the Spirit has burned the majority of that mess out of my life. But as I have a little almost every day that is still there, I know that it is building up to be an ugly, stinky pile that is going to detract from my ability to reflect the glory of God, and make it harder for me to show others a life of freedom that inspires them to do what I did in order to gain what I've gained.  Instead of seeing my new freedom, they will instead only see the mess of trash that accumulated because it didn't all burn and the remainder was not dealt with.

Regular inventory is like stirring through the burn pile with a stick in order to expose what hasn't been completely burned away. When we are wrong, we need to promptly admit it, but we need to do more than just set the pile on fire again. We do the inventory with the help of the Spirit's guidance, and the fire must be supernatural as well. Just the fire of will and determination will not burn away the residue of sin in our life any more than it could burn away the big stuff we couldn't control. We have to get closer and closer to the Spirit who is able to burn without dying out and to burn hot enough to rid our lives of all the impurities and refine us like gold. It's not a one time process, but we can't let the pile grow large again before we address what lies beneath the work we've done so far.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

- Psalm 139: 23-24

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

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.



Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 15 ~ Tight Walk Of Terror

The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.

- Brennan Manning

What if I stumble and what if I fall? What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all? Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl? What if I stumble and what if I fall? You never turn in the heat of it all. What if I stumble? What if I fall? You are my comfort And my God.

- Toby Mac

Don't give up, it takes a while. I have seen this look before, and it's alright. You're not alone if you don't love this anymore. I hear that you've slipped again. I'm here 'cause I know you'll need a friend. And you know that accidents can happen, and it's okay, We all fall off the wagon sometimes. It's not your whole life. It's only one day. You haven't thrown everything away. 

Take some time and learn to breathe and remember what it means to feel alive and to believe something more than what you see. I know there's a price for this, but some things in life you must resist. 

- Sixx AM 

That fear of falling is the tight walk of terror that every Christian knows or knew, and so does every recovered addict, regardless of the type or nature of the addiction. What if I stumble? What I fall? What if I flipping jump like a junkie lemur? On one hand, we strive for progress not perfection and we know that we are saints because of the righteousness of Christ poured out on us, and yet we are not saints but sinners when who we are in our own strength is seen. No mater how hard we try, no matter how determined we are or how strong our will is, without leaning on the grace of God and living by the power of the Spirit, it's not a question of if we'll fall. It's when and how bad will it be.

And then there's that wind of reputation that blows like a hurricane as we try to walk the wire across a canyon. That rotten apple the ruins the reputation of the whole barrel that none of us wants to be, but feels at least is possible, if not the hidden truth of our identity. It's why we can be so harsh and vicious when the weak among us wander from the pack and even more quick to attack and cannibalize when its the ones who appeared strong but whose weaknesses were exposed when they tried and failed to walk with God without relying totally on His grace to do so.

How many preachers and Christian musicians and actors have destroyed their lives when some sin has been exposed to the world and their fellow believers attack and devour them, many who have the same sins of lying, greed, lust, etc.?  There's a reason why Jesus said those without sins cast the first stone, because if he hadn't the stones were about to fly as people quieted their guilty conscience by killing someone worse than them.

What about the poor unfortunate with the follow me to an AA meeting bumper sticker parked at the scumiest out of the way bar a county away from home? The truck driver with the Jesus fish on his trailer stopping at an adult video arcade or arrested for trying to purchase the services of a lot lizard? Or what about the recovered one, who has spoken so often on how to walk free and stay free, who has helped many and has over a decade clean or sober or whatever term fits his addiction, who has to admit, head down and voice quivering, that after all those years he slipped, lapsed, fell, jumped, chose, sinned?

Oh the damage we can do. It is frightening. We are to be the light of the world, but when the light is shined on us, the picture gets ugly, scary and sad pretty quick. It's why we must point to the light on Him whom is due the glory, because God's righteousness can take the scrutiny ours will never stand. But even that can leave us wobbly on the wire. Doesn't it look like God failed to keep me if I fall half way across the canyon and I made it clear to everyone  that I was relying on His grace to walk rather than a net to catch?

The demand to be perfect so we don't hurt the witness is the wrong witness. Manning was right, when we preach Jesus with our lips and live like heathens it does great damage. There is a difference between not being perfect and denying God with our lifestyle. I need to be the love of Jesus in the life of every single person I encounter for every single second of those encounters. And I fail at that all the time. So do you. We're not going to be perfect and to hide that we still have flaws, imperfections and sin in our life doesn't help the witness of The Way, it harms it as much as jumping back into the deep canyon of sin does.

Satan will tell you to hide the struggle so that people will see Jesus. He doesn't want people to see Jesus. He's just trying to get you to forget that what is done and kept in darkness will be brought to light, and the longer it's hidden, the worse it looks when exposed. If we are honest about the struggles we have and don't act like people who have walked with God long enough to stop being beginners shouldn't ever struggle with sin anymore, we can get help before what is a little spiritual struggle turns into a devastating defeat.

And when we are wrong, promptly admit it. That's part of Step 10. Steps 10-12 are sometimes referred to as maintenance steps because these are used to continue to walk in the freedom we have been given. These steps are the long pole we use to keep us safe and balanced while we walk the wire.  We continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong, promptly admit it. When we are wrong. Not if someday, perhaps, we might possibly be or do wrong again. When. It's going to happen. It does happen. The heart that is quick to repent rather than justify, excuse or ignore is a heart God treasures and can continue to use.

It is in dealing with, admitting and not trying to Pharisee away the small struggles and wobbles that keep us free from the big ones. If we ignore the tiny wobble as we walk the wire, if we pretend we are balanced when we are not, then the problem will not be a wobble but a fall that can't be disguised or hidden. We will fall to the canyon floor and our secrets will be exposed like our guts on the rocks below. We will either serve as a light of how to be honest and walk humbly, like Paul admitting that he does those things he hates, or we will serve as examples of what not to do and who not to be, like the Pharisee.

Don't live in fear of the stumble. Don't get wrapped up in pride that says I can't admit struggle if I have been recovered for so long or if I have been a Christian for so many years, or I teach classes, lead groups, etc. The mature Christian admitting struggle and showing how to turn to God for the power of grace, the mature leader needing encouragement, counseling and prayer from another, is a witness that we don't do this  alone. It helps, not hinders, as the new person knows not to hesitate when he or she needs help. Also don't listen to the lie that says if we are less than perfect we are falling to our deaths. No, it's not perfection or nothing. Call on Jesus. Have a heart that is quick to repent. He is our comfort as well as our God, and His mercies are new every morning.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 14 ~ True Hope From A Fairy Tale

This time many more followed, and her eyes were fast becoming fountains, when all at once a verse she had heard the Sunday before at church seemed to come of itself into her head: "Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will answer thee." It must mean that she was to ask God to help her: was that the same as saying prayers? But she wasn't good, and he wouldn't hear anybody that wasn't good. Then, if he was only the God of the good people, what was to become of the rest when they were lost on mountains? She had better try; it could not do much harm. Even if he would not hear her, he would not surely be angry with her for calling upon him when she was in such trouble. So thinking, she began to pray to what dim distorted reflection of God there was in her mind. They alone pray to the real God, the maker of the heart that prays, who know his son Jesus. If our prayers were heard only in accordance with the idea of God to which we seem to ourselves to pray, how miserably would our infinite wants be met! But every honest cry, even if sent into the deaf ear of an idol, passes on to the ears of the unknown God, the heart of the unknown Father.

- From Sir Gibbie by George MacDonald

The above excerpt is from a poet and minister who is also the father of fantasy. He mentored Lewis Carroll and thereby helped bring Alice to the world, and his writings influenced C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle, among others. He is sadly, though, less well known than those he influenced and far underread. Many who claim to be fans of the genre of fantasy literature have never heard of him, much less read him, which saddens me. I am a fan of MacDonald's, but it is not by some great literary elitism that I know of him. It is by grace, meaning, that like my knowledge of God, it became personal only after being presented by another.

A woman named Katha has been a far greater influence on my life and my beliefs than she may realize. She befriended a young teen in the 80's and changed me in ways that a whole congregation of Sunday school teachers, well meaning worriers and bullying busy bodies failed. She cared and planted seeds that didn't immediately rise up and take over, allowing her to see the results, but grew slow deep roots that, once the tree pushed through the soil stretching for the Son and began to bloom, could never be pulled up. One of these seeds was a gift of books. One afternoon she handed me The Lord of the Rings collection and The Complete Fairy Tales of George MacDonald.

MacDonald was the more difficult of the two to read, as his 1800's Scottish English writing made me have to think to understand what I read, but I loved the stories. It was like reading the Bible, only fun. In the midst of his tales were truths, like the one above, that sank deep in the soil of my soul and waited for the drought to end and the water of the Spirit to bring them to life. Years later I would learn that MacDonald also wrote apologetics. The man had been dealing with some of the tough questions and the doubts in my soul for years though with little seeds scattered in stories.

Many may never hear of him. Few, if any, who have ever read him before will do so after reading this. But many have enjoyed literature and film that can trace its genealogy directly back to this Scottish starting point. A woman cared enough about me to present with kindness some books she thought I might enjoy. She didn't tell me I should read them, and she especially did not say that I must read them. This was during the birth of The Great Rebellion in my life, and the books would most likely have never been read had she come to me with them as something that should or must be read.

I didn't feel many people's care for me during that period. I felt many people cared what I did. Many more cared about how what I did and said reflected upon my parents, my church and by extension them. But few were able to make me suspect, much less believe, at that point that they cared for me. Katha did, and because of that I met an author who has influenced and entertained thousands through fantasy.

This is the secret of evangelism and the perfect 12th Step. The goal is to spread the love. The desire is to display the solution. Once we have awoken we care for those who are still asleep. It's not about being famous. It's not about being a household name, looking good or even in  always seeing the fruit of the seeds. MacDonald quietly influenced a few while the masses largely ignored him, but those few went on to change the face of literature and create something new and beloved. He also showed writers like Lewis and Tolkien how to show the truths of God without getting preachy. Many who have never been inside a church have seen Aslan on the big screen sacrificing himself as an example of Christ.

But one person, just honestly caring, introduced me to the world of fantasy literature and exposed me to the God of MacDonald's fairy tales and that Christ Aslan represents and the Lord of Tolkien. Oh, I already knew the God. But during a time when I couldn't accept or hear much about Him, when I thought no one cared, someone got through. The introduction to MacDonald led me to remember that part of the story I quoted this morning when I was afraid to pray, when I didn't feel I deserved God to hear my cry.

From behind prison walls I searched for a God I was no longer sure existed. I believed in God, always had and always would, but the god of my understanding wasn't quite right. Because the God of love that cared for me was not the god I had seen and heard about through the filter of my pain and perceptions. What good would it be to pray if I didn't have it right? If the image of God that I had in my heart and mind was incorrect would He even hear my misdirected plea? Then I remembered a story I read with that one little seed of truth that was beginning to bud, every honest cry, even if sent into the deaf ear of an idol, passes on to the ears of the unknown God, the heart of the unknown Father. My search for significance and a God who cared began to be successful when I honestly cried out with just a little hope that even if I didn't understand Him correctly He would hear me. That hope came from a story planted in my mind 20 years before, but one that bloomed in the memory when God's perfect timing called it to life.

It took a few years for the fruit to fully form. I had to get out that pit, and find another piece of the path, finding the first steps of freedom from the alcohol and drugs, before I could release the anger that blocked me from fully walking in the fruit of God's love I found in prison. But I had thought the beginning was The Search For Significance in my 30s. Last night, in yet another stupid prison dream I relived that desperate moment of daring to hope God might actually love me and of crying out as honestly as I could believing, because of a fairy tale I read as a teen, that God would hear.

Today let us remember that it's not always about making the best informed, most correct or even the flashiest, most entertaining presentation of truth. One person in one moment of genuine caring may plant the seed that blooms when the weeds have destroyed and damaged the seeds of others more "qualified" or more renowned. Jesus' greatest influence on the people of Galilee wasn't the teaching or the healings. His greatest gift and influence was His love. Children flocked to Him because of it. People dared to dream and hope for a touch from God because of it. Today let us remember that to love someone with the love that set us free is far more important than giving them information, forcing them to understand what they need to do or making a presentation of the gospel that would make Billy Graham proud. Just love someone who still suffers.

Lord, fill us with Your compassion and Your Spirit of genuine care and concern for others rather than the righteous demands of religion. Help us to remember that the one in bondage doesn't need to be told they need to get free nearly as much as they need to see in action the love that sets us free. The true and effective 12th Step is not a presentation of truth or facts or philosophy but an act of love and the hope of a God that hears even when we do not know the truth of who He is.



Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

The Prayer That Changes Everything

Dalyn Woodard shares on the second of the ACTS of prayer. What is the prayer of confession? Confession is more than just admitting our wrong or professing faith. It is following the example of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.  The message, "The Prayer That Changes Everything" is about 42 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, October 12, 2016. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 13 ~ Plankeye

It's about an hour past when I normally post the day's Unshackled Moments, and I have nothing. Well, I have a burning ache of what I want to express and a great sense of inadequacy to do so without being a hypocrite or a pharisee. But every time I think I'll just drop the subject and come back to this another day, I feel like I need to stay on task.

Let me start by saying something very important to the understanding of what I will be writing. This is not a religious idea. That's part of what is making this so difficult to write, because what I feel the need to say could be taken and run with in a religious direction, which could be disastrous. Just as important to remember and understand, my regular readers will know this well, I am not perfect or qualified to impart anything other than my experience, strength and hope, which all come down to the grace of God that I have experienced and that has changed my life. But I am no shining example of what you can do when you decide to get your life right and stop doing wrong. I pray that I can be an example of what God can do, because I can't do anything worthwhile on my own. My natural default is to run in the dark and never choose the light or to do what's right.

There's a story about a person with different problems, depending on who's telling the story, down in a pit. I've seen it with the pit victim being an addict, and alcoholic, and a soldier with PTSD. The idea is basically a retelling of The Good Samaritan. This alcoholic's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, "Hey you. Can you help me out?" The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a preacher comes along and the guy shouts up, "Rev., I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The preacher writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole with a Bible and moves on. Then a another alcoholic walks by and sees the drunk in the pit. He can barely muster up any hope when he cries out one last time, "Can you help me out?' And the alcoholic jumps in the hole. The drunk says, "Are you stupid? Now we're both down here." The alcoholic says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out."

This is a great little reminder that when we find freedom, whether it be from addiction or mental and emotional damage or whatever, that we have a responsibility to show others the way out. What you have freely received, freely give. There are times when a doctor can actually be a great help, and my father is one example of a preacher who has never been drunk who has counseled with and helped more than one drunk and addict. I don't mean to disparage anyone who  tries to help, and I definitely am not saying that God can't use people without the same experiences, but it is true that there is something about being able to say I have been where you are, and I know the solution, I know a way out, I know how to make it stop, I am no longer bound by these chains and you don't have to be either.

But in the cute little story, the recovered person walks by and jumps in. If the two people had been stumbling home drunk together and both fallen into the hole together, the story is totally different. Now, one may think they know the way out, but the other won't listen. Why not? You're stuck the same as me! You're in the same prison, you're bound by the same chains, you're failing in the same way, and you have no more hope than I do, so why should I listen to you tell me how to get free?

Well, here's the thing, I am just as big a loser as anyone reading this, as chief and masterful sinner as anyone ever was, including Paul. And guess what? I still sin. Every day. Preachers aren't supposed to say things like that are they? Well, I wrote it, and it's true. There are times in every single day that I slip, at least momentarily, into self seeking and self will, when I choose my own way instead of God's. The perfection of my second born spirit is not yet fully manifest in my life, and I haven't met anyone who can say differently about themselves. The best Christian in the world is a sinner.

I am not who I should be, and not who I will be when God completes the work which He has begun in my life, but I am most certainly not who I once was. And that's the thing. We are indeed seeking progress rather than perfection, from glory to glory He is transforming us into the image of Christ, and today we can walk a little more closely with Him and be less bound than we were yesterday, by the grace of God. I am still a sinner, but I have learned to walk in grace by the power of the Spirit. And I learned it from others who have experienced the ability to walk without doing the things that they once did before grace.

I do still slip into selfishness and sin, the difference is that I don't do it as often, that I dip into the shallow end rather than diving into the depths, and I realize what I've done and get out a lot more quickly than I used to. I still have moments, for example, where I lose control to anger, but they are few and far between these days and no one is in danger of being physically attacked. When I first got out of prison, I was anger personified, scary angry, and there was a very real possibility that I would hurt you if you triggered my convict survival mode. Progress.

What I am trying to get across, is once you see the path to freedom, get on it. Show it others as you have the opportunity. Give away the solution that you have found. Don't wait until you're perfect to share with others how to overcome sin in your life, because that's not going to happen while you're still breathing. But you can't lead anyone out of the pit that you are also stuck in. You have to at least be moving toward the exit before someone can follow you out. You can't give away what you don't have. It's progress rather than perfection, but it is not theory and knowledge rather than perfection. Before I will listen to what you're saying about walking with God, about walking free from bondage, I need to see some progress, I need to see that you have something that I want and have not yet attained.

In How It Works, there is the call that if you want what we have, you need to do what we've done. If you're as big a mess as I am, I don't want what you have. If you are as captive as I am, then I don't need your ideas about freedom. But if you have learned to walk in the power of the spirit by grace to the point where you are free and have joy, and peace, and a life worth living, when I can see that you no longer live in the pit like me but have walked in to show me the way out, then I want what you have. Before you can help anyone else who is still suffering, you need to let God break your own chains. Surrender and walk free, and let them follow your path from the pit. You'll never help anyone find freedom chained in the dungeon with them, because your theory that God can set them free won't help nearly as much as them seeing that truth in practice.

Today let us remember that before we can tell someone how to get the speck out of their eye, we must first let God remove the plank from our own eye. Before we can tell anyone to get right with God, we must first have a repentant and broken heart ourselves, understanding that we too are in dire need of a Savior. We need to be calling people to follow us to Jesus as we run toward Him, instead of sitting in our own filth trying to tell others they need to get clean. Let us remember that we are still sinners, but by walking in grace today, we can live our life within the will of God and not do the things that detract from His will, His glory and His love. We can be shining examples of the love and power of God to set us free and give a life worth living, but it's not going to happen by speaking truth if we are not living that same truth. The 12th Step is at the end, after the spiritual awakening, for a reason. Surrender, find freedom, then share that freedom.



Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Moments ~ October 12 ~ Jonah's Solution Shouldn't Be Ours

Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?” - for the sea was growing more tempestuous. And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”

- Jonah 1:10-12

I read the book of Jonah again this morning, it's short, only four chapters. As happens from time to time, I realized some things that I had not noticed or thought about the first however many times I have read this portion of Scripture. I have at times related to Jonah since he too ran from the calling of God on his life, nearly got himself killed and found himself spared miraculously, but I always felt like a minor leaguer looking at a man who made the MLB post season and saying we were both baseball players. True, but not the same.

This morning though I saw through the man of the Bible aspect of Jonah to the truth that he was more like me, and perhaps you, than we may have ever thought. There are parallels throughout the four chapters that I will be chewing on personally for a while, but there is one thing I noticed this morning that I see too common in the lives of people who believe in God, especially those in rebellion or who are actively fleeing a call to relationship and service. The common core here inspired me to share on this for today's Unshackled Moment.

Jonah was a mess who was called of God. I believe more of us can relate to a man like this than say someone with the steadfast, seemingly fearless, faith of an Elijah. He was sent by God to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, long time enemies of Israel and probably the most powerful country in the world at that time since they defeated Babylon. Jonah didn't want to go there. He didn't want to preach repentance or relationship with God to these gentiles, his enemies. Jonah earned himself the distinction of being the only prophet in recorded Scripture who says no and defies God when called to serve. It doesn't mean he's the only one, just that he's the only one who made the book with it.

So God sends a storm to stop his escape from the call and the manifestation of God's presence. Jonah couldn't outrun God's true presence, but he could flee the awareness of it, the reminder of Jerusalem. He couldn't flee the need to love and serve God, but he could also try to put it out of mind by getting as far from where he should be as possible. The city he was sailing to was on the opposite side of the sea from the land where he was told to go.

Storms happen. Not every storm is from God, but when we run from God we are going to encounter some serious storms in our life. This is because when we run to God, when we don't run, basically when we breathe in and out, we are going to encounter storms. Storms are a part of life, and even the perfect Jesus ran into a few significant storms during His days on earth.  But when we are running from God the storms are different, or at least feel that way, because we are different. We are out there, battered and blown about, without our refuge and our protector, and we have cut ourselves off from the power that is greater than we are and which give us peace, strength to endure, and wisdom. We are left to our own devices, thinking and reactions to deal with what's going on, and that's usually what got us in the mess in the first place.

Sometimes God does send the storm to remind us that we have left the place we need to be, sometimes the storms are simply the effect of our choices. God didn't send me to prison, but He did allow me to suffer the consequences of my own will and way and use that time to redirect me back towards Him and the path I had fled. Sometimes the storms really have nothing to do with us, as life happens, but our reactions are still to take it personally because when we are running from God, we tend to filter everything through our selfish narcissism and guilt.We know we're not treating our relationship with God right, so He must be displeased and angry and therefore want to punish us. So of course He caused me to have that flat tire in the middle of the thunderstorm or whatever.

The storm raged, and the sailors feared. It became clear to them all, including Jonah, that his running was the reason for the danger. If you, Dear Reader, are also familiar with the story, you may have, like me, either read over or listened to this part without thinking about it at all or assuming that it was God's will that Jonah be fed to the fish. There is actually no indication that this was in any way God's will. Did He allow it? Yes. Did He move to make it work for His will and glory? Sure did. He even provided a way for it to be used as a metaphor for His salvation through Jesus and what the Son would experience. But nowhere in the Bible does it say God wanted Jonah thrown into the sea or fed to the fish to teach him anything. We just assume that, because we are too much like Jonah, and this situation was all Jonah's solution.

God didn't tell Jonah how to stop the storm. We are told other times God spoke to Jonah, but here no such thing is said. We are simply told in verse 12 of chapter 1 that Jonah told them that if he were thrown overboard the storm would cease. The fact that when Jonah hit the waves God honored what he had spoken does not mean that was God's will for Jonah. God had proclaimed that Nineveh would be overthrown, but when they repented he relented and spared them. That was a gentile city, and was the capital city of a nation that was the enemy of God's chosen nation. Yet, God responded to their repentance. How much more had Jonah repented of his running and rebellion would God have responded with mercy?

Maybe Jonah did what he thought would be best and nobly sacrificed himself to spare the others. Maybe he was miserable and depressed and stuck in woe is me mode and wanted to die. There is some indication he responded to most things that didn't go his way with wanting to die.  Which brings me to the possibility that this was still more running and rebellion and that he would rather die than repent and go to Nineveh.  Maybe he didn't even see repentance as an option and felt he had messed up too much and it was too late to turn back to God. Regardless of why, and it could be a combination of things, including things not on this list, he didn't hit his knees and repent. He told the sailors to throw him into the sea to die.

Far too often God speaks to us and we rebel, disobey, make a choice to ignore the voice or even to run. It may not be on as grand a scale as being told to preach repentance to our enemy that may very well kill us for trying, maybe it's something as small as to give someone in need a few bucks worth of food or even something as cheap as an encouraging and caring smile. But no. We refuse for whatever reason to walk with, submit to and obey the will of God for that moment or period of time. It may be five seconds or five decades, but we are running from the call to love and serve by saying no to God.

Then regret sets in. And we throw ourselves into the sea because we feel we should be punished. We want to deserve to not feel guilty anymore or we simply despair of living through another failure and wish it all over and done with. If we, in those moments, or Jonah were the star of the story of the prodigal son, when we saw the father leap off the porch and run to embrace us and rejoice over our return, we would flee the reunion. Spotting him, we would turn from the path that led to the house, run to the barn and try to have the stalls all mucked and clean of manure before he reached us.

But God didn't ask us to clean out the stalls of our life before we get our welcome back hug, and He didn't ask us to throw ourselves into the sea or onto our sword to pay for our foolishness, mistakes or rebellion either. All He ever wanted us to do was to leave the pig pen and head home, to stop or determine to change course with the next port or passing ship and go and do what He asked. He even went as far as to tell us that He considers the child who says no to what is asked but later repents and does it faithful.

It's too easy to look at Jonah and see that running from God has a price with a hefty punishment. It does, but Jesus paid that price with the rest of our sin. God doesn't demand payment from us before we can turn back to obedience and relationship. He's the loving Father on the porch searching for signs of our return so that He can love on us and rejoice. We need to stop throwing ourselves into the seas of our storms.



Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.