Living with a Conquering Freedom this Holiday Season …
By: Dustin Weedman
For “most” everyone, Christmas is a magical and hope filled season. People tirelessly plan and prepare for one BIG day. Your family fills the biggest room in the house and everyone is beaming, even uncle Ed, who until now hasn’t smiled all year long. It would be impossible to not be happy right?
WRONG.
I spent my first 27 (estimate) years all but dreading the holiday season. Why? It wasn’t because I didn’t have a family that loved me. I had that. I wasn’t hurting in the present department; sometimes I couldn’t see my brother sitting next to me due to the mountain of gifts surrounding me. I dreaded it because Christmas time brought an entourage of voices to my head. There was a paralyzing fear that I would sit enslaved to my sin, all while sitting around the Christmas tree with my loved ones. You can fill “sin” in with anything that you’re currently facing in your personal life. For me it was an addiction to pornography. For you, it might be a financial hole that you’ve dug. Your health might be in crisis and you’re unable to see light at the end of the tunnel. Whatever it may be there is overwhelming hope for you - right now. Yes, YOU can have freedom during the holidays and everyday after Christmas for that matter. Instead of feeling conquered by this world YOU can do the conquering for a change.
You may be asking “Where can this freedom be found?”
I can assure you it won’t be found spending 15 minutes of “mindfulness” in a quiet room with your legs folded in front of you. Neither will it be found sending “positive” thoughts to two people a day for a month. No, this freedom can only be found in one person. So go walk over to your end table, blow the dust off the cover of that neglected Bible and prepare to be rocked with the freedom God promises through His Son.
First things first. 1 John 5:1 tells us:
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God.”
By believing this you now have become a child of the most famous, most victorious, most powerful of All ………… ALL.
This means no more pity party, no more feeling insignificant or under valued. If you still think or feel these things you have a faith problem not a value problem.
Next are instructions from our Father; being that we are now His child. Time to do what He says. Staying in 1 John 5:1–2,
“and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands.”
So now we know who we are. Now we are learning what we are to do or what we are NOT to do.
Giving in to pornography was often initiated by one “harmless” glance in the direction of an attractive woman, racy billboard, or driving by one of those provocative stores.
Well, I know by reading that ‘dusty’ Bible that there is a strong command or warning that I am to take heed of. Matthew 5:28 tells you and I that “anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
The mistake I’ve often made with this Scripture is putting too much focus on what it means by “lust”. Instead of overthinking this and putting unnecessary knots in your brain, remember who you are and what you’re doing. You are a child of God. Period. You are instructed to carry out His commands and heed His warnings. Period.
Don’t make this about details … make this about relationship.
So now I want you to picture yourself sitting with your loved ones at Christmas time. Everyone is smiling, laughing, engaging, but there is something different about you in this picture. You’re also smiling. You’re also laughing and engaging. And you feel -0- guilt, -0- shame, -0- fear.
How did you reach this state of internal joy and peace and freedom?
Simple. You believed.
First, you settled once and for all that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah of the world, the son of the Most High God.
Second, you believe that because of your faith in Jesus you are a child of God.
Third, you have made reading your Bible everyday the most exciting part of your day. Why is it so exciting? Because inside those pages are instructions, commands and warnings from your Father who loves you more than your mind and heart can fathom.
So now what?
In 1 John 5:4–5 (The Message translation) God’s Word declares
“The conquering power that brings the world (pornography, shame, fear, a health or financial crisis) to it’s knees is our faith. The person who wins out over the world’s ways is simply the one who believes Jesus is the Son of God.”
Simply put, our faith in Jesus is the only power we need to conquer the things conquering us.
The world would lead you to think that the wealthiest, most successful, best looking and smartest person(s) sitting around the tree this year are the most free. I would strongly disagree.
I am the most free; you are the most free. Why?
Because we are people of faith.
Dustin Weedman is a 37 year old husband and fun-loving father. He currently works in physical therapy and resides in Kansas City, MO. He is heavily involved in ministry at his church, World Revival Church in Kansas City, every week and has recently started a blog called “Faith Rewarded” where this story was originally posted.
Please take a moment to check out Dustin’s blog & be sure to watch for updated blogs and articles there.
