11.18.11

2 Peter 22:19b For you are a slave to whatever controls you.

My Thoughts

Wow! Wow! What powerful words!  None of us like to be a slave to anything... we as Americans  are especially proud of our freedom.  Yet so many of us walk around in bondage.  When you first read this you can think about the alcoholic or the drug addict.... they are a slave to the next drink or the next hit... and if you don't do those things you feel like everything is OK in your life you after all are not a slave. But the truth is we have probable all been a slave to something at one time or other. We are a slave to anything that interrupts our lives to the point it is in our thoughts when we need or want to think about something else...anything that we wake up and have to do.... anything that we plan our lives around.

Some of us are a slave to money.... we have let money control us instead of controlling our money..... once we let our bills get out of hand because we couldn't control our spending we become slaves to our money... it is actually controlling us.  Some of us are slaves to football.... yes, football.... we are so wrapped up in football that we can't miss a game... I have even heard of dads missing the birth of their child because of a football game... when we let something like football get so important that it actually controls our emotions ... we have become a slave to football. Some of us are a slave to Facebook... we have to check in when we wake up...and before we go to bed...and time in between to make sure we are connected to the world.  Some of us are slaves to Farm-ville, Cafe World or any other of those type of games... I actually called somebody from the hospital once to harvest my plants... Some people are a slave to work... the world has give them a label, work-a-holics...when work is all you can think about even when you are at home with your family.... something needs to change.  Some of us are a slave to reading or video games... some of us have become a slave to stuff...to the point it has taken over our houses... the label to that is hording.  Some of us are a slave to Grey's Anatomy or Criminal minds.... Some of us are a slave to worry, worry of any kind.... Anything that gets into our thoughts so much that it controls what we do and think...that it actually controls our emotions, we have become slaves to. When something gets in the way of what we need to do...when something gets in the way of our ability to hear others when they talk... when something takes over our emotions.... when something takes over our ability to be in control we have become a slave to it. We have given up our freedom that we cherish so much.

I think this verse is warning us to be aware of the things that control our lives... to be aware of the things that get into our heads so much that we can't keep our mind on God.. that we can't stay focused on the needs or others... and we are really in trouble when something effects us so much that we choose it over taking care of our own basic needs.... I think three signs of being controlled by something is 1. it controls our emotions... 2. we find ourselves doing something all the time, to the point of neglecting ourselves or others... 3. we are avoiding it... (money problems, house work). When we are a slave to something, anything we can't "let go, and let God."  We need to be disciplined enough to be free, free to be the person God wants us to be. We need to be aware enough of our lives and what is going on in our life to recognize the signs of being controlled... then we need to step up to the devil himself and say I will not be a slave to anything you put in my path.... I am a child of the most high God and I will be free to be what He would have me be.

I am a slave to a few things... it is a bit hard to be honest with myself about this...but I am a slave, a bit to Facebook... a bit to TV.... OK, Ok I am a bit of a slave to knitting and crochet.... I need to take my life back in these areas so that I can be free to be what God wants me to be. What are you a slave to?