network around every thought and deed, stealing away our lives as they go. What’s certain about this insidious tangle of death is that it will
never
stop growing.
Most of us have experienced moments of feeling surrounded by the negative things we’ve permitted to enter our lives. Among these threads of destruction, we become like a hapless butterfly landing within a web. We believe the silvery filaments that surround us are no match for our ability to fly away. Yet moment by moment, day by day, season by season, the sheer number of these evil, multiplying strands subtly, silently overwhelmsour capability to extricate our hearts from their consuming grasp. Without rescue, a grim fate awaits.
It’s easy for us to feel trapped and helpless against the negative things we’ve opened our lives to. But there
is
something we can do.
Freedom begins with a single decision.
No knot of sin can withstand a repentant heart that honestly cries out to Jesus. No matter how we became ensnared or how confusing our entrapment might be, there is no bond of darkness that the redeeming love of Jesus cannot cut through.
Yet we must realize something first. The real truth about our bondage is this: the things that cause so much havoc in our lives
don’t
actually hold us.
We hold them!
Think about it. God’s Word is clear. He repeatedly warns us to be careful of the things we enjoy so they don’t grow into habits that control us: “Even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Sadly, the overriding voice of this world calls us to reject any sort of control as an infringement on our right to have fun. Many of us believe that real freedom is doing anything we want. The truth is that when we follow our every sensual desire and a soft life of pleasure, we eventually become a slave to them.
Unlike the turtle, we’re not helpless in escaping from what binds us. Often it’s something we’re choosing
not
to escape from. Because God sent His Son to free the lost, from His perspective we are holding our shackles in one hand and the keys to freedom in Christ in the other. The real question is, which do we love more—our freedom in Christ or our bondage to sin?
Choosing to let go of sin and embrace Christ is only the first step. Like the helpless turtle that couldn’t escape the tangle of fishing line and floats, we are equally helpless to cause our sin to go away. If we truly want to be released from our pain, we must make the decision to stop bolting away from God once we’ve asked for His help. The removal of things that have grown into our flesh can be painful, but leaving them to fester in our souls can be fatal.
We must make the decision to be still, to stay with our Rescuer through the pain and allow Him to carefully extricate every strand of darkness.
This process reminds me of training horses in our round pen. Some of the horses that come to our ranch have little or no experience with humans. Because they view people as predators, when placed in a round corral, they will run in circles, looking for a way of escape. Some canter lap after lap around me, driven by their fear, desire for dominance, or pride.
No matter what motivates a horse’s flight from me, my first goal is to encourage it to slow down and trust me enough to stop running. Through subtle cues I help the horse understand that the best thing to do is stand still, turn to face me, and look at me with both eyes.
Once I’ve gained the horse’s trust and full attention, the foundation of our relationship is built on his choice to
come
to me. The horse must choose to walk into the center of the circle and stand with me. It’s here that the horse finds rest, peace, and love. The horse is free of any restraints and can bolt anytime it wants. But if it runs away, there will be no rest. The horse must keep moving its feet until it chooses to return. As long as the horse continues to run, it gains no
never
stop growing.
Most of us have experienced moments of feeling surrounded by the negative things we’ve permitted to enter our lives. Among these threads of destruction, we become like a hapless butterfly landing within a web. We believe the silvery filaments that surround us are no match for our ability to fly away. Yet moment by moment, day by day, season by season, the sheer number of these evil, multiplying strands subtly, silently overwhelmsour capability to extricate our hearts from their consuming grasp. Without rescue, a grim fate awaits.
It’s easy for us to feel trapped and helpless against the negative things we’ve opened our lives to. But there
is
something we can do.
Freedom begins with a single decision.
No knot of sin can withstand a repentant heart that honestly cries out to Jesus. No matter how we became ensnared or how confusing our entrapment might be, there is no bond of darkness that the redeeming love of Jesus cannot cut through.
Yet we must realize something first. The real truth about our bondage is this: the things that cause so much havoc in our lives
don’t
actually hold us.
We hold them!
Think about it. God’s Word is clear. He repeatedly warns us to be careful of the things we enjoy so they don’t grow into habits that control us: “Even though ‘I am allowed to do anything,’ I must not become a slave to anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Sadly, the overriding voice of this world calls us to reject any sort of control as an infringement on our right to have fun. Many of us believe that real freedom is doing anything we want. The truth is that when we follow our every sensual desire and a soft life of pleasure, we eventually become a slave to them.
Unlike the turtle, we’re not helpless in escaping from what binds us. Often it’s something we’re choosing
not
to escape from. Because God sent His Son to free the lost, from His perspective we are holding our shackles in one hand and the keys to freedom in Christ in the other. The real question is, which do we love more—our freedom in Christ or our bondage to sin?
Choosing to let go of sin and embrace Christ is only the first step. Like the helpless turtle that couldn’t escape the tangle of fishing line and floats, we are equally helpless to cause our sin to go away. If we truly want to be released from our pain, we must make the decision to stop bolting away from God once we’ve asked for His help. The removal of things that have grown into our flesh can be painful, but leaving them to fester in our souls can be fatal.
We must make the decision to be still, to stay with our Rescuer through the pain and allow Him to carefully extricate every strand of darkness.
This process reminds me of training horses in our round pen. Some of the horses that come to our ranch have little or no experience with humans. Because they view people as predators, when placed in a round corral, they will run in circles, looking for a way of escape. Some canter lap after lap around me, driven by their fear, desire for dominance, or pride.
No matter what motivates a horse’s flight from me, my first goal is to encourage it to slow down and trust me enough to stop running. Through subtle cues I help the horse understand that the best thing to do is stand still, turn to face me, and look at me with both eyes.
Once I’ve gained the horse’s trust and full attention, the foundation of our relationship is built on his choice to
come
to me. The horse must choose to walk into the center of the circle and stand with me. It’s here that the horse finds rest, peace, and love. The horse is free of any restraints and can bolt anytime it wants. But if it runs away, there will be no rest. The horse must keep moving its feet until it chooses to return. As long as the horse continues to run, it gains no
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