Girlfriends in God - Apr. 27, 2007

April 27, 2007

The End of the Road

I hope you are enjoying the Girlfriends in God daily devotions. We (Mary, Sharon, and Gwen) would like to introduce you to some of our special friends. From time-to-time, the Friday devotions will be written by one of our friends in ministry. We call them our "Friday Friends." So grab your Bible and a fresh cup of coffee and drink in the words from our "Friday Friend",

Angela Craig.

Today’s Truth

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

Friend to Friend

As Christians we are saved by the blood of Jesus, we are forgiven of our sins; we are made new, and are given wings of eagles to fly. Why then are many of us still controlled by strongholds and negative emotions? This question has haunted me for years.

No matter how hard we try, there are times in our lives when we seem chained to our past, our fears, or our bad habits. I have been trying to find an answer or more honestly an escape route to take myself out of the pit of strongholds and negative emotions, but have never been successful by my own power. Thankfully, even though I may not have the answer (or the escape route, for that matter), our Heavenly Father does and He wants to share it with us!

One of my favorite songs right now is by Third Day and is entitled, “Carry my Cross”. This powerful song talks about Jesus carrying the cross of our sins to Calvary. As the words to the chorus intensify, there is a phrase, “He carried our shame to the end of the road”. I could not believe how God used those words to answer my question! I asked myself again, “Why than are many of us still controlled by strongholds and negative emotions?” The answer: We don’t truly believe that God carried all of this to the end of the road! We don’t believe that we are worth that kind of sacrifice and pain. I have a question for you: “When the garage man takes away your trash, do you go running after him to get it back?” Of course not! We need to stop chasing down God for the old moldy garbage that He has already taken and buried!

Your life is no longer formed by your past, but by whom God says you are! Whatever it is that you have been carrying, you can now let go of it! You are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-19) and you are set free (Galatians 5:1). God tells us that we have “weapons of divine power to demolish strongholds…and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV). In your new life with Christ, the devil no longer has a grip over your mind, your life or your future. Any strongholds or negative emotions you may have were conquered at the cross. Now it is time for you to claim that truth and walk in the love and freedom that God has planned for you!

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, I thank you for carrying my shame to the end of the road. I thank you that the devil no longer has access to my mind, my body, or my soul. By the blood of Jesus, by the Word of the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and in the Name of Jesus I accept your love and your sacrifice. I am revived, alive, and lifted high on the wings of eagles ready to claim victory and purpose in my life.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Now it is Your Turn

1) Use your weapons this week: Pray in the Name of Jesus, study the Word of God, and ask the Holy Spirit for daily Divine power.

2) Read the full text of 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 and Galatians 5:1 and write down how they impact your self image.

More from the girls

From time to time, we all struggle with understanding who we really are in Christ. It is hard to imagine such love and forgiveness. We seem compelled to do something to earn it or deserve it. I have given that up, girlfriend, and am daily trying to rest in the image of myself…through His eyes. Join me.

For more on this topic, see Mary’s CD, “Getting Good at Being You”.