Unshackled Moments ~ January 4 ~ Ready, Set...

This may sound like the most obvious statement, but the only way to make any permanent changes in our lives is to want to change, or rather to be truly willing to be changed.  Remember all the stuff we found, the habitual things that we have done over and over, the patterns of walking outside of the wil of God? Ready to let that go? Of course, that why we're doing this, right. No, not usually.

From my experience in doing and seeing this sort of thing, it usually begins with a desire to change one thing that we most times don't care for about ourselves or that others don't like about us or that keeps us in tight spots with family, employers, the law, etc. Half the time, give or take 4-% we don't really want to change that one thing at first. What we would much rather do is suddenly be able to control what is now controlling us and or to engage in the behavior, whatever that behavior might be, with impunity, without negative consequences.

But when we finally come to a place of brokenness and realize that we're never going to have either of those options, we agree, often reluctantly, to change, to give it up, to quit. That's not really wanting to be changed, and we haven't even started on the rest. What about the other things we saw and realized about ourselves when we took that honest inventory and when we spoke to someone else about it? Well, I don't see what my anger and insecurity have to do with my spending money I can't afford to spend, or my drinking, or my laziness or my.... Just for the sake of argument, let's pretend that's the case. All the other things we learned and discovered have nothing to do with the one thing that we need desperately to be set free from, whatever that may be. Can we at least be honest enought to admit that we see where they've caused us problems and or damage? Can we see where they have brought harm to others and to our relationships with others?

In that case, even if they have nothing to do with the bondage we are trying to address, there is no question they are part of our normal life outside the will of God. That's bondage too. The chains that bid us are all linked together with anything and everything that we refuse to surrender to God. Everything that we continue to do out of habit or self will or desire that is not what God wants us to do is bondage, whether it feels bad yet or not. We claim to have surrendered our will and life over to Christ's care. As the song says,

I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back. The cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back. 

The world that we are walking away from includes our will and way of ruling our own life. This is where we find out how serious we were about the whole Lord, I give you my life to use and to do with as You please. I surrender idea. If we were honestly at a place of surrender and still are, then the list of things that hurt and hinder our relationship with our Creator is something we are going to want Him to change about us. The things that make that surrender difficult we're going to be desperate to let go of. And if we are not ready, we must pray and ask to be made ready and willing to let go and have all the things that are outside His will for us removed from us.

Having that moment of brokenness and clarity where we realize that we're slaves is not that huge an event really. I've seen and been the kind of drinker who knows he can't quit and just says something to the effect of oh well, I'm a drunk, and drunks drink. That man or woman may see their chains, and in a moment of pain or fear of some consequence, may realize that only God can help as they pray and pretend to surrender forever if only God will remove the consequence of whatever mess or trouble they have placed themselves in. We even have a morbid fascination with self examination at times, that can just be used as an excuse to continue in bondage. My life has always been this way. I do this every time. There's no point in trying to fight it or change. This is just who I am. We can even admit that to someone else. None of that brings about change. None of that will set us free.

The point where freedom begins is where we become willing to let God change the things about ourselves that our outside of His will, that are damaging our relationship with Him, whether we hate or whether we love that attitude, behavior, activity, sin. If we were ready when we surrendered, some change may have    already occurred, but no lasting freedom can be found without this sixth step. Do you want to be free? If so, then you have to be willing to let God make whatever changes He deems necessary to set you and keep you free. Not ready, but still want to be free? Ask God to make you willing to submit to His molding willingly. You're stuck until then. No real progress can be made without the willingness to let God change us, so if we refuse to do that, we might as well shift our chains around to the most comfortable position we can manage and resign ourselves to staying slaves. Freedom is waiting though, calling out name. His name is Jesus. He says if we're tired of those chains we can come to Him and trade them in for something light and easy to carry.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ January 3 ~ Time To Confess

He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

- Psalm 28:13

We've realized there are things that we struggle with that we can't control, came to believe that God has the power to free us and surrendered the fight to Him. Then we took an honest look with His help at who we are, who we've been and what we need to exorcise from our life. Now it's time to get seriously serious, time to confess.

It's almost un-American to suggest such a thing. It goes against how we perceive our rights. Well, there is a way to approach that part of the problem. It is to accept the concept that we don't really have any rights. If we have truly surrendered our will and lives to the Lordship of Christ, then we are His servants to command. We obey. Period. Boy that sticks in the craw sometimes doesn't it? The only rights that we have are the rights that He gives us.

Those are some pretty awesome rights. We have the right to go right into the presence of God and fellowship with Him. We have the right to be His child. And we also have the right not to remain silent. That's right. We have the right not to remain silent. That's a miraculous blessing.

It's human nature to try to hide our sin, even Adam and Eve tried. The more spiritual we want to be, the more tempting it can be to keep our dirty laundry out of sight. Wouldn't it hurt our witness if people realize that we struggle with darkness and our carnal human nature even after we've become a Christian? Well no. It's not the struggle that hurts the witness. It's the surrender to sin that does. People hide the dirt, and it becomes a fertile ground for shame. And shame cripples us.

You can't step out and do such and such for God! What will people say when they realize you did such and such, when they learn that you are a this or that? Yes, God knows. We've honestly looked at ourselves and we know God knows. But for some reason God decided that wasn't enough. He made it a part of grace, which is the power to be free, and a part of healing to confess our sins, our mistakes and our screw ups to another person.

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 

- James 5:16

Confession to another person sets us free from fear and shame and the threat the enemy holds over us that keeps us powerless to serve God freely and courageously. There is no more, what if people find out? It also requires we put spiritual pride to death and humble ourselves. It gives someone the ability to encourage us, pray for our healing, and to hold us accountable to our commitment to surrender our will and way to God. It enables our healing, frees us, and puts a powerful weapon in our hand. We overcome bondage and the enemy by the blood of the Lamb (Christ) and the word of our testimony (our story, the sharing in the light what would normally be hidden in shame for the glory of God).

Now, we mustn't be foolish about it. Some things we should speak with to only one or two trusted people that have the spiritual life we respect and see the work of God in. We don't free ourselves at the expense of others, so we don't shout from the rooftops things that would hurt others. But there needs to be one or two that know us and can keep our struggle in prayer and hold us accountable.

It sounds scary, and it is. But is an amazing freedom when it's done. We find ourselves so much lighter. There is rest from the burden that those who must go through their life hiding their secret shame can never know. Yes, praise God, we have to grace and the right not to remain silent.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ January 2 ~ Cleaning Out The Fridge

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

Like many, from time to time at the Woodard home we have to clean out the refrigerator. If things are left in there after their time, it causes problems. Food poisoning is not fun, but that can usually be avoided by smelling the milk and checking to see if the food has become a science project. Sometimes cleaning out the fridge isn't as much about what has gone bad and will make someone sick. Sometimes it's about making room. It's full, and there's no room to put what we need to inside.

Let's face it. Sometimes things haven't really gotten to the point of gross bad, but rather than take them out and dispose of them we push them to the back and forget about them or ignore them. Somethings may not be bad as such but we haven't used them for days or weeks and likely never will. They need to go so that there's room for food that will be used.

Our lives are like that at times too. There are times when we need to take a look at ourselves, to take stock of what's right and what is doing us and others harm.  Knowing when our spiritual lives have soured or grown moldy is critical to getting free and clean. But afterwords we still need to empty ourselves and make room for the things that God wants to give us. It's not that their bad as such, but what we're looking at can't be used to make the great things that God wants to make of our lives or just aren't as good as the blessing He wants to fill us with.

It's with these lesser inventories we can need the most help. Invariably when I clean out the fridge there is at least once I ask Leah, is such and such still good? Or are you going to use the... See, Leah is an awesome cook, and she can take leftovers and make better than the first times with some of them. She does amazing things with food I would trash at times. And then there are times when I think maybe she wants something to stay and she says Oh no. I'm not ever going to use that. Throw it out.  I defer to her judgement on such things, and I have never once regretted it. Sometimes there are things in my life that I think are still good. Maybe God can even use that aspect of my attitude and life to a good purpose. But when I get His thoughts on it, He says. No. I'm not using that. Throw it out..And there are things I don't like about myself that I wish desperately to change, to get rid of, and He says, no, this I can use. I'll give you the grace to endure.

Self examination is important and a good place to start, but we can never do it good enough on our own. If you are ready to be of more use to God and to get out of His way to make room for more life worth living, then it's time to invite God into the examination process. Lord, search our hearts and minds to see what you want to use, what you want to change, what you want to discard. Help us to remember to ask You about our inventory.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ January 1 ~ Biographies Are Better

Last night my stepdaughter posted this quote on Facebook: Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one. - Brad Paisley It's a good quote, and I liked it.

My instinctive reaction was yes, I want to make this year a good one and write a great story. Then I remembered. I spent years writing my own stories, and they were never good ones.

When I hold the pen of my life the story never turns out to be much worth reading. My life has never been worth living during the times when I insisted on holding the pen and ruling my own life. I have written horror stories, crime novels, plenty of noir  and the sad tales of the junkie and the drunk. Disasters? Yeah, I've written plenty of those as well. Depression, angst and suicide were common themes of the stories I wrote on my own. My teen years could have been scripts for after school specials on how not to live your life. In my  twenties I graduated to bad Lifetime movie scripts where I starred in my stories as the bad guy who wrecked his own life and the lives of everyone around him. The thirties turned into a prison drama.

Looking back at the books I have written does not inspire me to pick up the pen again. Yesterday I wrote of the  Frist Step to freedom and a life worth living. It's a journey I began seven years ago by putting down the pen and giving God permission to be the author of my life. The way my story went began to change, and within a few chapters I discovered a life worth living. The books God has written since have been so much better for me and the lives of those in my life.

We simply can not control our own lives. It doesn't work out well when we try. We find ourselves in various forms of slavery and bondage, leaving destruction and chaos scattered throughout almost every chapter. We can't set ourselves free or write a great story for ourselves. Steps two and three are all about the sequel being better than the first series. Once we realize that our books have at best been less than satisfactory reads, we come to a place where we realize there is an Author much better qualified than us. He is the most creative and talented writer ever. His words spoke the creation into existence and breathed life into the world. His tales are glorious and full of love, hope, peace and joy.

It's like writing a series of books for years where even the best ones are amateurish and full of mistakes. Then, when you start thinking it might be better to scrap the series and start over, the greatest writer imaginable reaches out and says He's interested in your story. He wants to take it over, write a masterpiece. He's not going to scrap the stories that have been. They will be incorporated, and the story will still be uniquely flavored with your original style. But when we surrender and let God hold the pen, the writing becomes beautiful.

I can't write a good story with my life. I have tried and failed so many times. God can. He has proved it. I think I will let Him continue to write it, a simple expression of steps one through three toward a new life, a better life, a life of freedom, a life worth living. Today as the new year begins and we imagine the 366 days (It's a leap year) as a book of blank pages, let us all lay down our ens and let God write the story. I promise it will read so much better than anything we can write on our own.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 31 ~ The First Step

Well, we made it through another year, and it's New Year's Eve. Tomorrow begins the new year, and
in truth, other than changing the calendar and remembering to write 16 instead of 15. there won't be a lot of difference between today and tomorrow. But it is a point that we mark as a new beginning and often the new year is when many people try to break the bondage of addictions and bad habits. If that is you then remember that it won't likely be easy. If what you want to eliminate from your life had not become at the least ingrained and at most a chain of bondage it would have been set aside naturally as soon as it became undesirable.

The first step to any recovery, whether from addiction or a habitual sin, wrong attitude or behavior, is to realize that we can't change it or stop it or control it on our own. The first step is not admitting we have a problem. The first step is realizing that we can't fix ourselves. That our habits and addictions have become our master. We don't like to admit that, but we can't find freedom without understanding that we're slaves that are in need of emancipation. How may times have we thought about changing something and then decided it's really not that bad or not worth the effort it will take to change it? How many times have we trued to stop or start something better in its place only to have failed to stay stopped or not continued doing the improved thing? That's powerlessness. We are powerless over our old behavior, and determination won't be enough. Hitting reset at the start of the year won't last long, and we'll soon find ourselves in the same place that we were on New Year's Eve. In order to find freedom something different must be done. Seeing that we need something else, something to help do what we can't do is the first step to freedom and lasting change.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 30 ~ The Promise Of Peace

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. 

- John 16:33

This verse may be familiar to you, Dear Reader. What does it bring to mind? Do you think back to a particular saying of Jesus? Maybe consider the general way He spoke and the kinds of things He said and think those words of love and hope and healing are the words that Christ spoke so that we will have peace? Peace is important. Anxiety and worry can actually kill us. But peace doesn't come because we get to a place where there's nothing to worry about. It doesn't get made all right so that we can finally relax and let all the stress go. If we hope to find and have peace by eliminating what's currently stealing our peace we'll be in for a long wait.

You see, Jesus wasn't referring to the Sermon On The Mount or the many parables that  He spoke in this verse. This is the last verse of the sixteenth chapter of John. Jesus is taking care of business and making preparations to face His execution. He starts this  chapter off by telling those He's leaving behind that they will be persecuted and run out of the fellowship of the religion in which they were raised. He tells them that the people who kill them will think that they're doing a service to God by ending the lives of these followers of Christ. Jesus is about to die. He tells His followers that it's going to be just as frightening and rough for them.

He's leaving them. They're about to be on their own for the first time in three years. The Counselor is coming, but they don't understand what that means yet. The disciples are horribly confused. What does He mean we won't see Him for a while then we will? What's He talking about?  Jesus tells them that the time is coming when they will desert and abandon Him and all be scattered from Him and one another. At that dark moment when they have faced the fire and failed, when they have bolted and run out of fear and left God to face the cross alone, when they have fallen short of every promise to be faithful even to death, when it looks like all their hopes for a Messiah have been killed with Jesus on that cross, they can be of good cheer. They can be courageous. Why? Because despite all appearances to what they'll perceive around them at the time, that's when Jesus will be overcoming the world. That's when the war is being won eternally!

We don't have peace because everything is right with the world.  We have peace because of what Jesus did on the worst day in history. He suffered and died and won the war over sin and death to purchase our eternal freedom and bring us into the family of God. The whole ship may be falling apart around us and we have yet to learn to walk on water, but we are now God's and nothing will change that. So we have peace as the water splashes over us. We can indeed have peace that passes all understanding today and  in the upcoming year. But it won't be because we're blessed with the removal of all the things that should cause worry and stress. That wouldn't pass understanding. What gives God glory and doesn't make sense to our understanding is when we have peace in the midst of the chaos, in the darkest hours, in the confusion, while being attacked by the enemy of God and facing things that bring fear.

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.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 29 ~ Mail Order

As I came in from work yesterday evening, I stopped at the box to check the mail. The only thing inside was a little note from our mail carrier that read I'll bring your change tomorrow. My first thought was, "wouldn't that be nice?" I knew what the note meant. Leah mailed something yesterday and left money for postage with the package in the mail box. She left more than enough, and the carrier didn't have change, I knew it was about the nickels and dimes or pennies Leah overpaid, but I couldn't help but think of what the note said.

I'll bring your change tomorrow. This is the time of year when it's easy to start thinking about what we would like to change, to improve, to add or remove to our habits and lives. Even people who don't make resolutions often can't help but think about the change they would like to see in their lives. Wouldn't it be nice if we could order our change out of the catalog? The mail carrier could bring it to our door just in time for the new year.

The reason many people don't make resolutions is because so often they don't work. Resolving to do things differently often doesn't last long regardless of the time of year that we decide to try. Change is hard work. It takes a lot of effort and constant attention to prevent slipping up and doing something or not doing something without thinking about it. And there are things we've gotten so used to doing that they have become a part of who we are. Overcoming those traits, even acquired traits, in order to stop doing them or to make room for developing new habits sometimes takes more than determination and hard work. Sometimes it takes a miracle.

And you can't order a miracle from a catalog. No, the mail carriers will not be bringing the change we want to see in our lives. But there is One who can. God said to make our request to Him. He is our ever present source of help in times of need. He is the One who sets the captives free, breaks the chains of bondage and makes old natures transform into new ones. I'm not saying that it doesn't take any effort on our part. It takes a lot of effort to bow the knee and surrender. In fact even that takes a miracle, because it's only by His grace that we are able to want to surrender, much less do it. But if we surrender to Him, He will guide us to the change that we need. He will take us from our old self centered lives to a life worth living.

We can ask Him to remove those things from our lives which block our relationship and our service to Him and give us everything we need, including new hearts and attitudes, to be of maximum service to Him and others. If we do this every day, the old things in our life can come to be without the need to figure it our for ourselves. He will take us to and through the transformation.

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.