Scriptures: Romans 14:17, 2 Corinthians 3:17

The Platform to Freedom

We can have mistaken ideas about what it means to have faith in God.

It is a misconception to think that faith and religion involve following obscure laws and codes of behaviour. Dressing up the externals of your life to try to make God or your grandparent happy will not result in the freedom for your life that God promises. 

The book of Romans tells us that following rules and observances (eating and drinking) are not what makes us a Christian. It is not a matter of ‘don’t do that, say that, eat that, drink that or wear that’ … of keeping enough rules and observances to gain love and acceptance by God.

Rather, the key to real faith is acknowledging, “Jesus, you’re God. Let your Spirit live within me and change me from the inside out.” Then things begin to change. Specific changes in us, the Bible promises, will be that we start to experience:

• Righteousness
• Peace
• Joy

Those three things are not random occurrences as we follow God in faith. They are vital evidence of a faith-filled life, and they are in effect the exact opposite of the anxiety, shame and despair/depression experienced by many people.

God assures us that the work of his Spirit in your heart will be:

• Righteousness = Freedom from shame
• Peace = Freedom from anxiety
• Joy = Freedom from despair 

That is why we need the Holy Spirit in our lives – to be who God wants us to be and to live how God wants us to live! 

Experience breakthrough and take steps toward freedom today. 

Scriptures: Genesis 3:1-13, Genesis 3:20

Find Freedom from Shame – Part I

Shame is one of the most imprisoning human emotions ― everybody experiences it, but nobody wants to talk about it.

Whether caused by falling short of personally held standards or as a result of an experience beyond our control, shame seems impossible to shrug off. We may have failed morally or in business, or perhaps been subjected to a situation we were powerless to overcome.

Regardless of its cause, tragically, shame is often accompanied by destructive behaviours such as addiction, depression, violence, aggression, bullying, suicide and eating disorders.

The Genesis account reveals that shame is not a recent phenomenon; it has been around since Adam and Eve. Genesis describes four ways we cope with shame which, fascinatingly, match the assessment of modern-day psychologists.

1. Avoidance. We do not like the feeling of shame, so we do what we can to avoid it. In Genesis, Adam and Eve realised they were naked, did not like the feeling, so covered up with fig leaves. Similarly, we avoid our shame by pushing it out of sight or mind, perhaps numbing our feelings with substances, shutting down emotionally, or talking about ‘anything but’.
2. Withdrawal: We withdraw from uncomfortable situations. Adam and Eve ran away from God and tried to hide. Today, we cope poorly by withdrawing from friendships, or hide behind digital devices, busy schedules or public personas.
3. Attacking self: The shame within speaks, telling us something is wrong with us. Adam admitted, “I was afraid because I was naked. We often echo this with, ‘I’m such an idiot’, ‘I should have done something to prevent it’, ‘I should have known better’, ‘It’s my fault.’
4. Attacking others: We blame, slander and point the finger at others to avoid facing our shame. Adam shifted blame to ‘the woman you (God) gave to me’; Eve in turn said, ‘the serpent deceived me.’ We deflect shame by suggesting we are not to blame for how we are. Rather, it is the fault of our parents, spouse, siblings or maybe the boss at work.

If God had done nothing to address our shame, the Bible would be one of the shortest and saddest books in history. However, the beautiful truth of this Genesis story is that, knowing that Adam and Eve had messed up, doing what they should have never done, God does not remove himself or keep his distance. He comes looking for them.

Shame can stop us from drawing near to God, but it does not stop God from drawing near to us. He loves you! He is for you! When our sin is great, His love is greater! There is a future for you! 

Scriptures: Genesis 3:9-10, 1 John 1:7, James 5:16, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Isaiah 32:17

Find Freedom from Shame – Part 2

Secrecy, silence and judgement cause shame to grow exponentially, says American professor, lecturer, author, and podcast host Brene Brown.

God deals with our shame by shining the spotlight. His first question when Adam and Eve  hid from Him was: “Where are you?”. God already knew, but he was lovingly getting Adam to acknowledge his position.

1. Instead of secrecy, find freedom in honesty

Professor Brown’s research indicates shame feels the same but speaks differently to men and women. For women, it says: ‘Do it all, do it perfectly, and never let them see you sweat.’ Shame tells men: ‘Never be perceived as weak.’

The word ‘shame’ means ‘to cover or hide’. Adam and Eve’s way of dealing with shame occurs today: ‘I can’t let anyone know that my life is actually not perfect, my Instagram story is fiction, or that I have struggles and challenges.’ Covering up keeps others from knowing us, and us from knowing ourselves. Things do not get better. 

God urges us to ‘walk in the light’. A moment of honesty with God could bring you untold freedom.

2. Instead of silence, find freedom in relationships

The natural response to shame is to keep quiet and not talk about it. ‘What will people think?’ ‘What will they say?’ 

The Bible tells us how to receive forgiveness and healing:

• Talk to God to obtain forgiveness
• Talk to a trusted person to obtain healing

If you have had repetitive shame experiences, particularly in your developmental years, it may be enmeshed in your identity. It may take more than one chat with a trusted Christian leader to find freedom. A Christian counsellor or psychologist can help you establish a healthy sense of who you are. God often outworks the healing process through trained, professional caregivers. 

3. Instead of judgement, find freedom in mercy

Guilt focuses on the behaviour while shame focuses on the person. Guilt: ‘I made a mistake.’ Shame: ‘I am a mistake.’

At the cross, our sin (behaviour) was judged, but we (the person) were shown mercy. God made garments of skins and clothed Adam and Eve; today the Holy Spirit takes the work of Jesus and applies it to our hearts.

Research shows that if you put your head down you feel shame, but if you lift your head up you do not feel shame. God does not remind us of our shame. The Holy Spirit applies Jesus’ finished work of the Cross to our hearts and reminds us we are righteous!

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-9

Find Freedom from Anxiety – Part 1

More people may be dealing with anxiety today than in any previous generation. At least more of us are aware of it―in this age of technology-inspired globalisation, we are exposed to an endless flow of social media and news from around the world. 

The causes of anxiety are diverse, from a heightened awareness of actual and potential catastrophe to a stream of advertisements reminding us what others have and we don’t.

Support organisation Beyond Blue reports that 26.3% of Australians aged 16 to 85 have experienced an anxiety disorder. This is 4.96 million Australians. One in six South Africans suffer from anxiety, depression or substance-abuse problems according to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group. 

It is also more acceptable to talk about anxiety and seek help… that is a good thing! A healthy level of anxiety increases our sense of awareness and performance, but many of us struggle to keep anxiety to a constructive level.

Three common causes of anxiety are traumatic experiences, catastrophic thinking and the example of others, including parents and friends. Well-meaning mums and dads constantly worrying – for example, about germs, getting fat or stranger danger – and talking about it all the time, can cause a child to grow up with anxiety around that issue. 

You need to know when you experience anxiety:

• It is not a sin, but neither is it from God.
• You are not a bad person.
• Jesus did not come for perfect people―he came for people who do not have it all together.
• If you are a Christian, you are not a lousy Christian for having feelings of anxiety.
• God can give you wisdom and peace.

Philippians shows us the Biblical pathway from anxiety to freedom. We will look at five steps along this pathway in Find Freedom from Anxiety – Part 2.

Scriptures: Matthew 28:20, John 14:16, 1 Peter 5:7, John 8:31-32, John 16:33

Find Freedom from Anxiety – Part 2

Five steps to freedom from anxiety are found in Philippians:

1. Acknowledge the anxiety

The first step is acknowledging we have it. God does, not to condemn, but because he understands and wants to help. Anxiety can be debilitating. Acknowledge if you are struggling, but don’t judge yourself as this creates more distress. If it weren’t an everyday issue, it wouldn’t be in the Bible. If God can acknowledge it, we can too.

2. Acknowledge God is near, even when anxious

Philippians begins talking about anxiety with: ‘The Lord is near.’ Our anxieties do not push God away and cause him to hang out with people with more faith. In Matthew, Jesus said he will be with us always. His friends got anxious. In John, Jesus told them he would not be around much longer but, ‘Let not your heart be troubled.’ If you are anxious, pray: ‘God, thank you that you’re near.’ He is present through the Holy Spirit.

3. Invite God into the situation

Philippians says, ‘in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’ God wants us to involve him. We think: ‘God wouldn’t care about that.’ He thinks: ‘You can pray about that because I do care!’ He tells us to cast all our anxieties on him because he cares for us. 

4. Catch your thoughts and challenge them with truth 

Anxious thoughts generally are not true. ‘You can’t do this.’ ‘This will end bad.’ ‘Nobody likes you.’ Learn to catch and challenge those thoughts with truth. Jesus tells us to abide in his word and we will know the truth. Bank tellers can tell a fake note in a bundle. By studying Bible truth, you can catch toxic thoughts and reject them. Instead, think true, noble, right and pure thoughts. Thank God and experience peace.

5. Practice simple things you know to do

Anxiety can interfere with our daily functioning. The simplest way to break fear paralysis is doing something. Jesus said, ‘Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me – put it into practice.’ Managing physical symptoms may be as simple as exercising or relaxing, making that call, starting that project or going to that social occasion. Reading the Bible daily, attending church and renewing our brain to think God’s way are life giving. Anxiety takes a step back and you take another step into freedom.

Summing up, Jesus says we will have trouble and peace at the same time. God doesn’t always fix it all immediately. My anxieties and troubles might not disappear straight away, but he does give me peace – and that causes me to take heart!

Scriptures: Numbers 11:14-15, 1 Kings 19:4, Job 3:11, Job 3:26, Jeremiah 20:18, Psalms 6:6, Romans 14:17

Find Freedom from Despair – Part 1

In life, unexpected events strike, things we never saw coming. They can cause us to end up in a dark place, feeling confined and hopeless – in despair or depression.

These feelings might come from relationship break-ups, divorce, unemployment, loss of a child, infertility, money or health problems, a death in the family. Sometimes you cannot pinpoint anything… you just feel perpetually flat. 

We are emotional creatures. God has emotions (love, anger, jealousy, grief) and he made us with emotions. Life is not just about processing events, it is about processing emotions that come with life’s events. 

When life presses in on us, we can feel stuck, angry, aimless, guilty, torn, betrayed, depressed, jealous, inadequate or simply numb. 

It could be worse in a person of faith, because you are left trying to reconcile your feelings with the idea of a good God… which makes you despair even more.

Some have said despair is like feeling like you’re drowning, but everyone around you is breathing. If you ever feel it, know it is normal, painful and takes time to walk through. Today’s Bible readings tell us that heroes of faith experienced it, including Moses (Numbers 11), Elijah (1 Kings 18), Job (Job 3), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20), and David (Psalm 6).

Everyone can experience despair and depression, but some are more vulnerable than others owing to genetic or psychological reasons, personality or temperament, or situational or spiritual factors.

Despair and depression bring with them physical symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbances, aches and pains, decrease in appetite, agitation, restlessness, slowed thinking or movement, headaches and difficulty concentrating.

Despair makes us believe there’s nothing we can do, but we can control our response to events and emotions. The Black Dog Institute, which promotes mental health in Australia, points out that a predisposition is not a death sentence. 

Neurologist Dr Caroline Leaf says, 

‘You cannot control the events or circumstances of your life, but you can control your reactions… controlling those reactions is the difference between healthy minds and bodies and sick minds and bodies.’

God has something to say in this space. We can pray to Him: ‘Jesus, you’re God. Let your Spirit live within me and change me from the inside out.’ Tomorrow, in the final devotion of this series, we will learn seven keys to ease despair.

Scriptures: 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Psalms 42:11, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 1:12-14, Philippians 4:4, Romans 5:1-5

Find Freedom from Despair – Part 2

Seven things to do to ease despair when nothing seems to help:

1. I can be grateful

Evidence-based research links gratitude with improved emotional, physical and relationship health. The gratitude referred to in 1 Thessalonians 5 helps relish good experiences, feel more positive, boost life satisfaction and energy levels, deal with adversity, and be more social and forgiving. It is linked to a stronger immune system, lower blood pressure, fewer aches and improved sleep!

2. I can care for my physical health 

You can pray for the feelings to go away, but God wants you to care for your physical as well as spiritual health. Research shows healthy diet, exercise, going outside and getting enough sleep (but not oversleeping) are practical steps to finding freedom from depression.

3. I can set daily achievable goals

We can think, ‘When I feel right, then I’ll do right’, but motivation often comes after we act. Setting achievable goals and doing them gives a sense of accomplishment. For some, getting out of bed or washing clothes is a big activity. Plan and do at least one achievement and one pleasant activity daily whether you feel like it or not. 

4. I can surround myself with good people 

Lack of social support contributes to depression. On the flip side, family, friends or colleagues showing care can lift you. Church communities offer a great sense of family (Ecclesiastes 4).

5. I can manage my thinking 

David admits his feelings but chooses new thoughts (Psalm 44). Dr Carolyn Leaf says, ‘When you objectively observe your own thinking with the view to capturing rogue thoughts, you in effect direct your attention to stop the negative impact and rewire healthy new circuits into your brain.’  

6. I can look for purpose in hardship

You might see God has a purpose in your season. Paul was in chains when he wrote Philippians 1. 

7. I can accept circumstances and cultivate hope

It doesn’t help denying you’re in despair or depression, but admitting it and cultivating hope does. Faith in Jesus is not denying the facts. He willingly entered into a broken world, went to the Cross and, as the midday sun turned dark, cried, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” We can reach out to a God who understands living in a broken world, went to the Cross, conquered death and offers eternal life beyond suffering. Our hope does not deny facts, it transcends them.