974 Free to Change

You were created for a BIG Life, but are you living BIG? Are you living free? Free from anything and everything that serves to hold you back? Is there anything causing you to live a life short of the life Jesus came to offer you? What is it that keeps pulling you back in? What is it holding you back? What has you stuck when you could be free? We all have chains. We all struggle with bondage of some sort. Some are more visible than others such as addiction or a toxic relationship. And other forms of bondage are more widely accepted as “normal” these days. Irrational thoughts and fears, lack of self-control, a rollercoaster of moods, procrastination, laziness, jealousy, self-hatred. Did I get ya yet? Yes, that my friends is bondage. A bad habit, a rut you’ve worked your way into, a continual cycle of start strong and fizzle fast, a bad attitude or a pattern of negativity, those are chains, and those chains are holding you back from living the very life you were created for. You can’t sit back and say “well, this is just the way I’ve always been, so I will always be this way.” Wait, so you’re telling me God created you to be a moody beast? I don’t think so! God created you to loathe mornings, hate yourself, or have raging jealousy? Nope, girl I’m not buying it. God made a mistake when he made you and forgot to give you self-control? He forgot to equip you with strength to finish what you start? He forgot to give you the ability to control your thoughts or your tongue? That’s insane. You are God’s greatest masterpiece. You’re lacking absolutely nothing. You have it all sister. ALL OF IT. It’s just chained up. Held back by a mistruth you have believed and claimed as your own. Restrained by a bad habit you’ve allowed to become a ruler over your freedom. Are you ready to break those chains? Are you ready to be set free to live your BIG Life? Are you ready to overcome and conquer your chains? Scripture tells us a story of two men, Paul and Silas who had been stripped, beaten and thrown into prison. I suppose you could say they were having a bad day. Naked, bloody, chained up and locked up. Yip, bad day. They were stuck. They had every right to be angry, They had every right to be throwing a fit. But you know what they were doing instead? Acts 16:25-26 says “about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” Impossible chains were broken that night. Prison doors flew open. They were set free. What caused this? Paul and Silas were praying and praising when they had every right to be cussing and worrying. Our prayers appropriate the power of God. Our praise summons the Almighty. This is how we are set free. Whatever has been holding you back, whatever has burdened you, you can be set free by appropriating the power of God through your prayers, and summoning the Almighty through your praise. Prayer and praise, the power pack duo for your chains to be broken and your freedom to be realized. Understand this right now, God doesn’t want you stuck for another day. His desire is not for you to battle those thoughts, fears, moods, or bad habits past this very moment. His desire is to set you free. He wants to break your chains. He is able to break your chains, but you play an active role in your freedom. Jesus says in John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” You have an enemy in this world who is a thief. What’s the thief after? He’s after YOUR life. He wants to take you out … out of your purpose,