Unshackle Moments ~ October 20 ~ Is God Fair?

Yesterday evening on the way to church Leah told me that she had been listening to a preacher on the radio that morning who had made a profound statement. She didn't hear much, only catching a short portion of the program during her drive to work, but what she heard moved her and made her think. The statement the minister made is this: God is not fair, but He is just.

At first I told Leah that I couldn't wrap my mind around this idea. To me, fair and just are both synonyms for right. How could a God who is perfect and Holy ever not be right? Psalm 99:4 - The strength of the King loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. God loves justice. He is a just God, and Psalm 9:8 in the Hebrew says that He will judge the people with equity. And the New Testament is not silent on the issue either. Colossians 3:25 - But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

Equity is defined as the quality of being fair and impartial, and God established/made/created/thought up the concept of equity. So what's the deal? Is God fair as the scripture says or is He unfair but somehow still right, still just? Leah had given me something to chew on, and I love it when she does that. So I went looking. I haven't listened to the program that she did, because I didn't want my study to be about proving anyone right or wrong but about seeking the answer,the truth. I did see enough in my research this morning to know that the preacher she heard is not the only one who makes the claim that God is not fair but just.

First, let's look at the definition of fair. Fair is right, impartial and honest. Justice is right, faithful to the standard and conforming to what is morally upright or good. To me is still seemed like you can't be just and be unfair, so I started looking at what some of these preachers were saying wasn't fair and the difference between fair and just or right. The results surprised me. Is God fair? Yes. No. It depends on how you look at it? Is He just? Yes.

Now that may seem like a cop out answer, but it's not, because the answer will vary depending on who's answering. But in the end, if we are honest, the answer is that God is indeed fair. The problem lies in the fact that fairness is subjective, while justice is objective. So I had to take a look at why some were saying God isn't fair. The real life examples were all about lives filled with hardship and failed expectations. And I can understand where those questions come from, the pain and loss that births them. They are all variations of the questions why is my life harder for me than that person's or those people's and why did they get what I want when I didn't get what I want? Why should I lose all my children before birth and never get to be a parent while someone who seems no better qualified than I, or even less so, has six or seven kids? Why did my marriage fall apart when I did everything I could to be a good husband or wife and my neighbor, who is a total jerk and hurtful to his/her spouse is about to celebrate 50 years of marriage? Why is it that I did drugs and drank like crazy for around 30 years and lived, still relatively able to think straight, while so many others died of their overdoses or permanently fried their brains or bodies? Etc. There are probably as many examples of different variations on the idea as there are people in the world.

And when you look at it from that aspect, it does seem or appear that life is not fair. We don't all get born with equal IQs, with equal physical attributes, abilities or even body parts, and we're not all born into families, much less families with equal economic, social and psychological qualities or qualifications. So from the start life isn't equal. It isn't fair.

Who says? I do, because I didn't get the advantage or ease that I perceive in someone else's life. I think so and so is a jerk and he has a good portion of the things I dream of having. He doesn't deserve it any more than I do, therefore it is not fair that he should get what I want when I don't. Either he shouldn't get those things either or I should get them. But I'm wrong, and everyone else is equally wrong who  looks at life that way.

The Scripture that continually gets thrown up to defend the idea that God is not fair is Jesus' parable about the workers found in Matthew 20. I actually read someone write that this parable shows that even Jesus didn't think the Father was fair. For those unfamiliar and who do not wish to look it up, the basics are these: A vineyard owner hires some day workers in the morning for an agreed upon wage (which is a fair wage for a day's labor). Later he sees he needs more workers and finds more. Repeat as the workday is almost over. At the end of the day he pays everyone the same thing.

The people in the parable who were hired first throw a fit. It isn't fair. I worked all day for, let's say, $100. Why should these people who only worked 2 hours get the same $100? That's not fair! We shouldn't get paid the same. I deserve more than them! You are favoring them over me! And the folks who say and feel that God is unfair are doing the same thing. The issue is not with God being right but with the idea of impartiality.

We look at this parable, more than that, we look at life, and say we're not starting or ending in the same place with the same stuff and the same amounts of pain and joy and therefore God is favoring some over others. God is not fair. I walked with God for 50 years and this evil man who hated God and everyone for 40 years got saved after learning he had cancer and died less than a year later and gets the same heaven as me. Not fair!

So, the gist of the argument is that we say there is and feel there is partiality, unfairness, from our perspective, and it seems logical. But Scripture says God is not partial, that He is no respecter of persons and doesn't favor. So either God shows favoritism and we are right to say He is unfair, or He is impartial and we are wrong. Let's rid ourselves of the subjectiveness of the issue of fairness.

Is God impartial? Ultimately, yes. Every single person who has lived, is living or will live will have an opportunity to say yes to Jesus. Everyone. Regardless of anything and everything. We all have that chance. Every single person who accepts the gift of grace, what Jesus did for them on the cross, will find His death taking the place of their own. It doesn't matter male or female, every race, every everything, any and every label you could put on a person is equally and impartially covered by grace, should they say yes to the call to relationship with Daddy through the work of Christ. That's impartiality on an eternal scale.

Likewise, everyone who rejects relationship with their Creator will find themselves judged based on their performance, and they will all be held to the same law and the same standard and receive the exact same reward for being perfect and the exact same punishment for not living up to the standard of perfect holiness. There will be no partial credit and no partiality. But that's eternity, after we die. What about now? That's what we're worried about, right?

Wrong. Look at it like this. You and two other people all happen to find winning lottery tickets on the ground. None of you purchased them, none earned them, but the three of you are about to freely receive and split $300,000,001. Since you can't split a penny, each of you is about to get, for absolutely nothing but happening to pick up a piece of paper, $100,000,000.33. Oh, and one of you will get an extra penny. If you're not the one getting the penny, are you really fighting over it and throwing a fit at the unfairness of it all? Are you turning down the hundred million because you think you've been jipped for a penny?  Of course not! How petty and foolish would that be? If you were the one getting the penny and someone was screaming about the unfairness of it, how quickly would you give them your penny? After all, what does that one penny matter?

That's even less extreme than the reality we are in. We are about to receive, unearned,paid for by another, and undeserved, an eternity of ultimate joy, perfect peace, everlasting love with no pain, sorrow or tears. What is 100 years compared to eternity? It's less than a penny compared to a hundred million. No matter how good or bad it is or was, it just isn't worth quibbling over. And if you aren't heading for that eternity, I promise, even if your penny is the prettiest and shiniest and best penny of all time, it won't make not receiving the rest any better. Eternity will suck without God, no matter how wonderful your 80 - 100 years is.

But I'm saying it doesn't matter, even though it feels like it matters. I understand. I sometimes still ache and cry over the unfairness of my life. It is unfair, and it hurts when it is. That penny matters when it's all you know and have experienced. The hundred million is a concept we have no way to comprehend. So here's the truth of it, and that parable. What are we comparing? If I compare my life to yours and yours to mine and remove eternity, life is unfair. It just is. Life is not equal or impartial. The scales don't balance. It's not fair for the end of the day workers to get the same pay as the ones who labored all day. God is not fair.

Now, for once, let's get as narcissistic and self centered as we naturally are and eliminate every other person. No one matters but you; you and the One who Created you. That's the reality of it, after all. When we stand before the throne, no one matters but us and the judge. I promise you won't be worrying about who had more or less at that point. All that will matter is do I have grace or am I to face justice for what I have done? Put yourself in the parable and eliminate everyone else.

You are standing at a place where day workers are hired. A man offers you a day's wages to do a days work. You work for a day and receive a day's pay. Is that fair? Of course it is. Now, you are standing in the same place but there's only two hours of workday left. You work two hours and receive a day's pay. Is that fair to you? Of course it is. It's more than fair! The truth is that when we remove others and look at ourselves, God is just and He is fair, at minimum, to all but Himself.

No one is getting less than fair and just from God. We get plenty of unfair and unjust from men. Two men commit the same crime. One does five years while one gets probation. The only difference between them is the color of their skin or their income level. Is that fair? No. Just? No. Is it God? No. That's people showing  partiality and being evil and unjust. That's a result of fallen humanity and the curse of sin on the world. That evil is exactly what Jesus died to destroy and defeat. If we're going to discuss fairness, is it fair to blame God for the unfairness and evil of people and life under the curse when He came and died to rectify both of those issues?

The standard is perfection. The standard is 100% is passing and anything and everything else is failure. Passing is life and failing is death. Have I been perfect? No. Did I instantly die the second that I failed the first time? No. I was given time and the opportunity to say yes to Jesus. I accept what Jesus did for me, and now all my imperfection is put on Him and not me. I didn't get everything I want, my penny hasn't been as shiny and pretty as I'd like, but it wasn't destroyed as the law demands. Is that fair? No. It's more than fair. It's generously in my favor. In fact the only reason that it can still be called just is because the price was paid and the exact standard of the law was satisfied with the death of Christ in my place and in yours.

When we compare our lives to other people's it may seem that God is unfair. But when we get honest with ourselves and there's no one else to consider but us and Him, we see that not only is He fair, He is generous and more than fair. We will either get exactly what we deserve according to the law, no more and no less, the minimum, and perfectly fair because it is the same for everyone who gets that, or we will receive grace we can't and didn't earn, not because of who we are but because of who He is. Everyone who receives grace gets the same amount, all that is needed. No one will receive more than they need, and no one will get less, regardless of who they are. That is impartial. That is generous and more than fair.

Here, you can have my penny. It's not as shiny as some, but it's better than some others out there. I just want to split the rest of eternity with you. If you're penny is prettier than mine, that's OK too. God has been more than fair with me.



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 19 ~ Course Changes

Wow. What a morning. I am sitting in my quite uncomfortable writing chair, a second pot of coffee is brewing, my hair is dripping, my music is playing, and perhaps I am ready to start again after my near-meltdown. I got up this morning and spent over an hour thinking about, researching and writing today's Unshackled Moment. I remember thinking that it was going to be long today and that I needed to be careful to stay concise so that it didn't turn into a short book. There actually may be enough truth in what I was attempting to share this morning to write a book about it, but not today. I worked on keeping it short and clear, and I thought I was around 75% or more finished with what needed to be written when I accidentally deleted everything and could not recover it.

I didn't get angry, but I did get up and walk away. I felt upset and discouraged. I had put in a lot of effort in the writing, and now I would have to start over. I remembered most of it, and could come close, but there would be no way to actually duplicate what had been lost. It might be better. It might be worse. It wouldn't be the same. I decided to take a break and compose myself before attempting the writing again. I wanted to pray for help to not be discouraged and to accept what happened as an opportunity to make it better. I would go ahead and shower and shave and pray and let the thoughts come together while I worked on releasing the frustration and discouragement of the morning.

At some point when I was thinking there was a lot of information and might make a better book than a blog entry there was also the thought or at least a sermon. Even a very long blog can be read aloud in under ten minutes. Most entries would take less than half that time to read aloud. Whereas with a sermon there is more time to present the information. As I showered I remembered that and thought maybe I would just save this thought, jot down some notes as a reminder and preach it when I finish the series on prayer that I am in the middle of.

I kind of laughed as it all began to unfold, the ridiculousness of it all and the idea that I should save this revelation to share through a sermon down the road. Sometimes when praying, reading, or just walking around, the Spirit speaks something to you that is such an obvious and simple truth that it feels almost like it's been known forever and at the same time it is revolutionary, profound and life changing because it is so new and fresh. Maybe it's a deeper understanding of something already known or a personal word from God, but whatever it is, I highly recommend writing it down. If you have to send it in a text to yourself, or keep a journal or write an email and send it to yourself, because while it may seem so clear and amazing that you can't imagine it ever fading from memory, I can assure you from my experience that it will. I knew I could not duplicate what I had been given this morning rewriting it a half hour later.  Even with bullet notes a month or more down the road might be impossible. When God gives you something to share, give it away while it's fresh and hot.

So I thought tonight I would share it tonight. But what about the sermon I announced I would be preaching? We're in the middle of a series. Tonight is booked. Unbook it. Sunday morning, my father deviated from the series he's been on and changed the plan. Maybe one of the reasons that God had him do that was to remind me that it can be done. God gave me the desire to preach a series on prayer, and He can insert whatever He wants to in the middle of it. I expected things to go a certain way, but God had other plans, and I just assumed that, even though it was too long for a blog entry, that what He was giving me this morning was for the blog and not a sermon because I had the next several sermons mostly mapped out. If I hadn't lost what I was writing, I would have made a mistake and shared it this morning, cut too much. It might have still been OK, and God could still have used it, but it wouldn't have been what He intended it to be.

Sometimes when we just keep going the direction we think we should, we miss out. God may still use us, and it might still be a blessing to others, but our lives may fall short of what God intended because we failed to heed the subtle instructions to alter course. Paul knew God wanted him to go to Rome. I'm sure he didn't originally expect it to be as prisoner. His letters indicate that he thought he would be a free man when he finally was able to visit the city. Then he was taken prisoner and sent to Rome. Slight change of plans.

Then, along the way, a storm rises up and wrecks the ship. All is lost except the people. I'm sure that was discouraging. Paul's a prisoner and now the storm is making an unpleasant situation worse. But here's the thing. That disaster brought glory to God and gave Paul three months to minister at Malta where many were saved and healed and learned about Jesus who might not have heard otherwise. What if Paul had gone with his own plans before he was arrested? What if as soon as he felt God wanted him to minister in Rome he  had made the trip? If nothing else, those folks in Malta would have missed out. But he submitted himself to God's timing as well as His will and plans.

Today, let us be quick to let go of expectations and listen for God's direction, even when we believe we already know the way He wants us to go. Even a five second change in direction to smile at someone or help with a load may bless someone greatly, but we could miss the chance to give away the love of Jesus while hurrying to do what we are supposed to do. It's not that God doesn't want me to preach what I planned to preach tonight. In fact, I'm fairly certain we'll be back on schedule nest week. But we must never be so rigid and sure and determined to do what God has told us to do that we can't alter course when He tells us to. What if Abraham refused to let God make a substitution of the ram for Isaac? Change course as the Spirit moves so that your sail will always be full, or if the wind a water is stilled it will because God wants you to sit tight for a while, and you will always be going the right direction, even if not the original one.



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 18 ~ Take Time To Change Filters

I'm exhausted. I feel like I haven't slept in weeks. I don't know why I have been having so much trouble sleeping lately, but even when I finally manage to fall asleep, I don't rest well. As I forced myself out of bed this morning, I felt like a zombie stumbling through the house with no energy and a brain filled with sludge. How was I going to write anything when I couldn't even think?

I poured my Magic Elixir of Waketitude and put on my Pandora. Some days I write before I do any reading because inspiration has already hit. Other days I do part or all of my reading first and hope that something that I read or hear in the music provides some inspiration. One of the verses I read this morning may be familiar: Matthew 11:28 -

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

It may not surprise anyone to read that when I first came across that verse this morning I thought oh wow, that is for me this morning, and there is my solution to my lack of rest! But then something said wait a minute, I'm already spending the majority of the time I am laying in bed unable to sleep either praying or meditating. I spend the last bit of my waking hours alone with God, and the first part of almost every day is spent in prayer, study, and ministry. If my first thought when I come across that verse is that I need to do more or better  so that maybe I can get some sleep, then I'm getting off track somewhere.

First the call to come to Jesus is to respond to the heart of God and lean on His grace. It's not a call to better performance. Any time we react to the Word of God by putting the weight of the work on our own shoulders rather than on the cross we are interpreting something wrong. Don't get me wrong, there is work for us to do. It is not easy to walk with God; it's impossible. And it's not easy to set aside, deny, and sacrifice self in order to take up our cross and follow Jesus in absolute surrender to the will of God above our own. It often feels a lot like suicide. The first step in a successful walk with God is to realize that we can't, we can not control ourselves or live right on our own power or in our own strength.  We need the power of God to do what we can't do on our own. We surrender to God's will and care for our life to gain access to that power and be  reunited in relationship with Him. It's a matter of grace. He is the transformer; we are the transformed. He removes the chains of addiction, sin and the bondage of self; we allow Him to do it.

Then there is the second little detail about that verse, which is that we often take it out of context. It's not necessarily wrong that if your job, sleep cycle, sickness, etc. is making you weary, you can come to Jesus for your rest. The Spirit is the Comforter, and rest is comforting. He cares for us and gives us what we need, and when we are exhausted, we need rest. But that verse is actually very specific. The weary here is a particular kind of weariness that exists in the life of a very specific group of people. Jesus is telling the religious folk who belong to God that if they are miserable, tired and worn out (weary) of spinning their wheels and killing themselves trying to live up to an impossible standard, if they are sick and tired of pretending to be perfect and striving for perfection while feeling the weight and shame of failure, then He is the answer, if they are smothering and being crushed under the weight of moralism, they can come to Him and put their trust in Him and He will give them rest from all of that, because He will remove the yoke that tells them they have to pull the perfect law alone. He will pour out His grace, His power to do what we can't do in our own power, over their lives.

No, that verse wasn't a reminder to pray more, spend more time with God, so that I can get some sleep. Sometimes we jump at a sign and go running off in the wrong direction before we check to make sure that the needle in our spiritual compass is pointing to true North. God does speak to us, and He will do so every day if we will listen. He speaks to us through His Word, in the lyrics, or even the music of a song, in something we see in the world around us, in the stillness and the silence. God can even speak to us from the mouths of the asses we traveling through our day with (see Numbers 22:21-39). But just because God is speaking doesn't mean that we are listening, and it doesn't mean that we are understanding correctly enough to make an instinctive and instant response and be right in our action.

His ways are not ours, and our thoughts are not like His, so it doesn't make sense to think that our default or knee-jerk reaction to Him speaking to us is correct. We run everything we see and hear and feel through filters. We start with filters of self, and we have to realign and rerun the message through the filters of the Spirit. We test every word, every spirit, every message and sign to see if it is true, and the first thing we have to test is our reaction, what filters are we using.  If the pressure is on us to perform  then we are using the wrong filter. If the call is to submit and let God do the work we are on much better footing to interpret correctly what we are hearing. If what we are hearing says we are loved as we are but need to be made more like Jesus, what a beautiful and true message we are receiving. But if we are hearing that God will love and bless us and give us what we need if we do better, if we can be good enough, the filter needs to be changed.

Today let us remember that we will never be good enough without the goodness of Jesus taking our place. Let us remember that our filters are never going to be quite right, but we have been given the Spirit who can teach us and give us understanding. When we filter what we see and hear through Him, we can trust Him to lead us the right direction and on the right path. Let us always take the time to test our filters, to make sure that how we are interpreting things lines up with the context of Scripture that says the weight of performance is on Christ and that God loves us and did all the work necessary to bring us to Himself before we react.



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 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.