A few blogs ago I told you all about my journey towards healing from parts of my past that hold me captive. It is still a process that I am involved in and I will probably be for a long time. I find that the more I have been in conversation with God about my captivity, the more he has taught me about the captivity of others. The more I ask him to heal me from my own bondage, the more he has introduced people to my life that could benefit from the same kind of healing. Captivity can come in so many forms and can often times have a hold over us without even knowing it! Here are a few of the areas of captivity that I have experienced.
Captive to our own hearts
We can be held captive to our own hearts. Have you ever been told to trust your heart? There are songs about it, cliche movie lines involving it, entertaining wikipedia articles on it, and science “proven” research that tells us to go with our heart every time we make a decision. That is one of the easiest areas of captivity that we can find ourselves in. We desire to follow our own will and go with our hearts more than we desire God’s will for us sometimes. Jeremiah 17:9 says “the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.” Deceitful above ALL things! Our hearts can bring us into sin, hold us in painful situations, and desperately want all the wrong things for our lives. It can be so easy to go with what we feel is right than to really commune with God about our decisions. Be careful of being held captive by Satan’s lies and the lies of the world about trusting your heart!
Captive to Complacency
We can be held captive when we are in a state of complacency. I think one of the most dangerous times of our walk with God occurs when we feel content and get complacent with where we stand spiritually. Complacency is often over looked because, well, at the time, we’re being complacent. How scary is it to think that we could at any point in our walk with God feel content to stop and not encouraged to keep going? I have found myself skipping out on daily quiet time. I have found myself doubting God’s ability to move in the time I spend with Him. I have found myself feeling content in my relationship with God and that scares me to no end! Think of the time you’ve felt the closest to God. Now, imagine your relationship with God being even greater than that every single day. That could happen for us which is why being complacent is so scary! What could we be missing out on when we decide to pause in our relationship with God?
Captive to Disobedience
We can be held captive to disobedience. In Isaiah 48:18 God says “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” They were held captive to their own plans and their own commands and they ended up missing out on God’s peace. They knew what God wanted them to do and they went their own way. They knew they were being disobedient and they missed out on something greater. I wonder how many times we make excuses for ourselves. I wonder how many times we know what God wants from us and fail to do it. I wonder what divine interventions we have missed out on from avoiding God when He spoke to us. Following through with our own plans may enable us to feel temporary satisfaction; however, it strengthens the bondage of disobedience and directs us away from the benefits God’s plans.
Captive to Unbelief
We can be held captive to unbelief. Let’s take a look at a father who desperately talks to Jesus about his son that needed healing in Mark 9: 21-23. He tells Jesus “but if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Did he just give Jesus an “if” statement? Sound familiar to any of your circumstances? If you can heal my son. If you can break this bondage. If you can introduce me to the right girl or guy. If you can end this addiction. If you can help me through this time. If you can rid me of my financial burdens. If you can help me find a job. Have you ever, like this father in Mark, given God an “if” statement? Have you ever been held captive to your unbelief? Jesus replies, “If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes.” The father then exclaims “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” It can be hard to fully believe God in our circumstances. Unbelief can keep us from experiencing freedom in Christ and it can greatly affect our spiritual walk with Jesus.
Captivity is something that every believer encounters. Captivity can be deeply routed in us and can rear its head in every aspect of our lives BUT captivity is not God’s will for your life! Take a look at the areas of your life that you are held captive in. Maybe you have more than one. Maybe you don’t know how to start dealing with it. Maybe you are discouraged from starting the healing process. Can I tell you something? I’ve felt strong bonds of captivity in my life that held me back from Christ for years. So, I spent hours in prayer, reflection, worship, and in the Word of God. I begged Jesus, like the father in Mark, to help me overcome my unbelief and my other areas of bondage. Slowly, he has shown me liberty in Him. You are beloved. You are valuable. You are beautiful. You are a child of God. You are his chosen instrument. You have the opportunity to be free! God’s plans for you do not involve you being in any area of captivity so tap into the freedom He has for you! You won’t be disappointed.
