He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14 NKJV.

Temptation (the power of darkness) is all around in every form. I believe the most dangerous temptation there is, griped our sister Eve in the garden (Genesis 2:17). Anything or anyone who temps us to question God’s goodness, truth, and love (His motives and plans for us), has the potential to subtly steer us away from God. Any system of thought that holds us captive to a lie such as: God our Father is withholding goodness from us, needs to be rejected. Or we will find ourselves at enmity with God, and robbed of our joy.

What we believe directs our lives. If for example, I believe that marriage and or family produce only pain, then the following actions might direct my life:

  1. I may either live with different partners leaving them when conflict, or any situation that reminds me of past hurts arises or;
  2. I may live on my own and be intimately involved with different partners, never living with them or being willing to commit to marriage, or;
  3. I may adopt a life of celibacy, and in most instances keep all forms of relationship at arm’s length.

Truth: 

We usually base our beliefs on what we’ve been told, and our personal experience. While we can never escape pain and troubles (regardless of what we’ve been told), the Bible tells us that knowing the truth sets us free (John 8:31-32). We also know that in this world we will have troubles, but Jesus has overcome them all (John 16:33).

Meme_ Conveyed Not Captive_Joy Cottage
Image by Natalya Zaritskaya

I grew up believing that some day I would marry the man of my dreams, and so I did.

  • Did we have troubles? Absolutely. We each came into our marriage with hurts, preconceived notions about marriage, family and finances, and we each held unrealistic expectations.
  • Did having our daughter bring more for us to work through? Of Course. Adding children always brings us to our knees in surrender. Children represent a huge change in focus away from self.

But if Ken and I had given up because trouble, pain, crisis, and desert experiences camped out with us, we would have missed out on the rewards of sharing our lives together with those God had placed us with. We needed to be willing to work through the messiness of life, and walk with commitment to God, one another, and those with which we did life. Only God could help us to get over ourselves (our errant beliefs and attitudes) so that we could walk in love.

In this new year, I pray we are willing to seek God’s loving truth where our beliefs are concerned. That we will press into wholeness and truth with the 2020 vision only our God can provide:

Father, I ask that whatever hurt, pain, loss, or tragedy is present, that we will press into You and your Word – the truth that sets us free. For while the healing process (working through harmful beliefs, words, and actions) can be painful, even scary at times; it leads us to trust, faith, and love in You. Please help us to endure and not pull away in self-protection, which can lead to loneliness, sadness, depression, and fear. Thank you for being such a loving God, and we look to you for comfort, counsel, and direction, as we pursue wholeness in spirit, soul, and body.

May you be conveyed in love, and captive only to the Truth, and experience the gifts God has in store for you.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 (ESV). 

Blessings,

Jacquie ♥

Meme_Joy Cottage Emblem
Your Place of Encouragement

Pray to receive Jesus in your heart: God Loves You

If you would like me to pray for you: Prayer Changes Everything