Chained

Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What a year 2012 was. There are some things that happened last year that I will remember forever. Then, there some things that happened that I have already forgotten. Okay, I lied to you. I haven’t forgotten and it will probably take a little time to forget. But what if I can’t forget? Should I trample on through 2013 and let that one thing I can’t forget control my thoughts and actions? I could probably function and get by with that one thing reminding me that it’s still there; like those little flakes that get stuck in your gum line after eating popcorn.

Hey! What about you? Is there something from 2012 that you can’t forget? Since we’re being honest, I recently unpacked some things from the spiritual and emotional baggage that I had stowed away. Some of it was in my mind. Most of it was in my heart. The crazy thing is that I had been carrying it around for 8 years or more. I know! Silly me. Then I had the audacity to bring all that heavy stuff  into my marriage. Oh boy! Now that was a battle for me and my wife. She brought her baggage and I brought mine and we would put on a show to see who had the most stuff. Dude! It was a nasty mess. Then we would make up and realize that we are Christians and we aren’t supposed to act like that. By the way, what if we as Christians would really be what we “act” like we are? (That’s another story!) We are fearfully and wonderfully made and we had to rise above all this foolishness. So, we packed up only those things from our past that were near and dear to our hearts and minds. Yes, as you would imagine, we dragged them on to the next argument.

Galatians 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

I’m a Christian. You’re a Christian. Ever wonder why we find ourselves in situations that we don’t expect to encounter as Christians? I didn’t expect to be carrying around baggage from years ago and have the contents of that baggage to affect my life today. I may be overstepping my bounds a little, but, I know you didn’t either. Let’s get out of this mess shall we? Read the verse above again. We may be able to get off to a good start this year.

As I understand it, I am yoked to the baggage I am carrying. And that baggage, well, whatever is in it I am chained to. I am all tangled up. What does yoke mean anyway? To put it simply, it is when two things are connected so that they move together. Another meaning is something that weighs one down to prevent them from being free.   Oh no! I have been gallivanting around yoked to malice, envy, deceit and all sorts of other things. No wonder this bag is so heavy. And no wonder I can’t break free from it. I’m chained to it. Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! There is power in the Name.

Meditate on Galatians 5:1. Then, you should listen to this song. I promise you it will bless you richly.

Related articles

• Kings in Chains (brokenbelievers.com)