LIVE YOUR LIFEÂ (Take charge of your life)
On this faithful day, I sat down to think of young people and all the many ills that affect every individual in the entire human race no matter the tribe, race, color or location.
One challenge that we all have to deal with or it will hinder us from attaining the best that God has foreordained for all of us in this life and the life ahead, is an issue that we sometimes will rather not talk about, because it embarrasses us; we will prefer to deal with it privately than publicly, funny though this issue is not as powerful as it possess to be, except for the fact that we magnify it beyond its powers.
It constitutes a stronghold on a tiny part of our life, might not lay hold on your strength but a weak portion of the life that was designed to be enjoyed. It’s hold hinders progress, delays the entry into the promise and limits the hand of God in our life.
Hello my beloved, quit trying to deal with it on your own. Haven’t you noticed that your motion is restricted by that little force that can be defeated and fresh air of freedom can be inhaled. You, yes you, I mean you are in captivity, sorry but yes that issue have kept you in bondage!
Take stock of your life, its successes and limitations, what you would have been, should you have this and that, yet you have thus been hindered from motion like you desired to move.
Let me name some strongholds, it could be that you don’t lie or cheat but drugs, cigarette, weed (grass), and alcohol, will not just leave you alone. Ok maybe you don’t fit here right? What of the sex (fornication, adultery, infidelity, and youthful lust), the child abuse and molestation. Oops sorry but what of that backbiting, the gossip, the gluttony, that unbridled tongue you have, that talkativeness, the pride due to what you have, who you know and where you have been.
Stop wondering how you got yourself entangled with the thing some people call the yoke of sin, it must have been that you got it through generational transfer, or habits that you developed over time into a stronghold, or from wrong associations, could have been from anywhere, and it can happen to anyone.
Let’s take a quick dive into history and one phenomenal occurrence of a strong nation or people in captivity as that was found in the life of the children of Israel recorded in the good book Genesis.
Here a nation was formed from the loins of one man who was chosen and blessed by God before birth, after inheriting the generational asset by the fore runners who through their actions attracted the blessing of God.
There arose a famine in the land that used to comfortably support this nation which caused them to be sold into slavery, to a people that normally would have been their slaves.In their captivity they were treated against their will, despite the fact that they were fashioned to be above only, the head and not the tail yet suffered in the hand of their task masters. While at it, they could do nothing except they were instructed to do so-there is a ‘higher authority’ that dictates their affairs and in turn the direction of their lives.
How does captivity affect our lives today?
Sure you have been in situations where the thing you desire to achieve day after day experienced delay and you conclude that others are living a normal life but yours seem to differ, then you resign to believe that your share of ‘normal life’ is almost impossible due primarily because you experience a disability in one area of life hindering or better still delaying the fulfillment of your hopes.
Perhaps, here you are a model of the blessing of God, confirmed by the credible servants of God yet, poverty and lack have been your security officers, and this spells CAPTIVITY! Maybe you did not grow up like other people defined by you as ‘normal’, and now you strive to make exploits like others that have the same right like divinity has empowered every human with, hmmm this is captivity.
Maybe you have tried many times on the path of success and everything you did ended in failure, over and over again and you are painfully contemplating giving up – this is playing host to captivity.
I can hear someone saying in their heart that the pressures of life is rather ‘too much’ to bear, when will your life become normal again? That also is captivity’s song.
Let me inform you at this juncture that being in captivity is a challenging part of our life’s journey but IT IS NOT A DESTINATION!
Captivity in life has an expiry date. Don’t throw in the towel yet, don’t give up yet, for you are almost there, things will soon change for your good. All that has been happening is a trial of your faith; God is working something for your good.
The main point of entry into captivity is when we forsake the God who made us so as to follow other gods – this could be money, fame, possessions, men/women, affluence and anything that takes your affection from GOD. These gods have the ability to take our hearts away from GOD, remember He said you shall have no other god besides HIM. This explains the reason why He’s been looking for you, knowing that you left HIM to follow other gods.
How to solve this challenge?
In order to solve this universal challenge, firstly, you will have to discover the stronghold that’s limiting your motion. Come to God and confess your pride for trying to live life without His help, and ask for HIS help out of the challenge. Face it, yes face it and deal with it in its entirety, be honest with yourself in judging evaluating yourself, remember you can’t lie to yourself.
Alter and eventually change your habits; leave the old habits that encourage the stronghold’s growth and learn new habits that help positive motion. Learn to appreciate your little progress.
This is how I know that you are almost at the end of it, when the nation of Israel was in captivity and the ruler was dictating their life they remembered WHO THEY ARE, they cried unto God who has kept them safe thus far, that God has promised never to leave or forsake us, who has promised us His presence through the fire and the water, the God whose word comes to pass no matter how strong the force of opposition.
If only you will gather some strength and CALL OUT TO HIM, trust me, He loves you so much to let that situation stop you in captivity no matter where your location is in the captivity.
The greatest captivity that anyone can ever be is when one does not even have the ALMIGHTY GOD to cry to, in this instance the person cries out to men and they keep disappointing him.
To be redeemed from this kind of captivity, you need to believe that Jesus is LORD and that HE died for us and is risen to be seated at the right hand of God for our sake, and then confess thus…
Father I am a sinner, I acknowledge my sins and confess them, I acknowledge that you died and rose again for my sake. I believe and confess you as savor and Lord of my life, thank you for saving me. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Initiating or renewing this father son/daughter relationship, prepares one to be defended by God who is leading you out of captivity.
YOU WERE CREATED TO SUCCEED, DECIDE TODAY TO ACHIEVE GREAT SUCCESS, AND YOU WILL SUCCEED!
Keep aflame,
Yours lovely
John Ede (edjohi@gmail.com)
A wonderful article by a special friend of mine from Nigeria. I love this one!
I am sure many will get away from their captivity once they read this article and take the necessary actions as said here. With the Almighty on our side, EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
God Bless You John, so that you can continue to enlighten us in future.
Looking forward to your next article,
Georgy N Joseph