Choices
“I purposefully chose drugs.”
We make choices every day. We decide what time to start our day, sleep at night, eat, drive, work. You name it. God gave us a free will and the freedom to choose. There are almost no situations where we truly have no choice. Such freedom is priceless. Who would want to live any other way?
So, the question arises, how and why do we find ourselves intertwined in uncontrollable habits or addictions? Like Anastasia Farris, we are all positioned and even prone to it every day. The slippery slope of doing what we want, instead of what we should, can be difficult to redirect and overcome. (Romans 7:7-25).
Choosing our own way rather than God’s way is what results in bondage. Most bondage isn’t an immediate result of one action. It is usually the result of one bad decision, followed by another, and then another. Falling away is easy. Overcoming and standing takes much more effort.
“Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”
Some have physical signs or symptoms of bondage. There may be physical needle marks from drugs, credit card debt from excesses, or diseases from indiscretions. The foundation of all of these, and others, are found deeper than these surfaces. These are spiritual chains where habits are built and routines are maintained. There is an inner inability to choose something other than what we have learned to automatically do. The bondage lends itself to hopelessness. If you have been, or are in bondage, you know. You also know how badly you want out.
This is where God steps in, if we will surrender to Him. Choosing His way can prevent us from becoming enslaved, and He is the one who can break the chains that hold us when we are bound by them. He is the one who can show us how to walk away from the destructive attraction that mesmerizes our souls. If you are there, God is your answer, and Anastasia Farris has a testimony that will attest to that.
So here is the truth. It is what Jesus said. There is no way for us to participate in sin without becoming enslaved to it. The other truth is that God came so that we would not have to live as slaves to sin. The most sure way to not fall into a world of addiction and bondage is to make good choices. Good choices are those God would want for us.
Good choices are reflected in obedience to God’s way. Obedience is not always easy, but it is a choice we can make.
Do you want to be free from the bondage inside of you? Are you ready to ask God for help? Are you ready to choose His way? Will you pray this prayer with me?
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for warning me about sin. I confess there are some places I need to be free. I turn loose of this thing that has such a hold on me. I ask for Your help. Please break the chains and set me free. Please help me make good choices. Show me Your way. I choose to follow You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen