I think 2020 was the most consequential year in recent history. I strongly believe that last year was a year of breakthroughs, a year of revelations, even a year of exposure to put it plainly. It showed us (with full clarity) how we treat our key workers, how much pressure the NHS is under and the sacrifices that our nurses and doctors make. Aside from the pandemic, #BlackLivesMatter, police brutality and the US justice system have been on the forefront too and that's even without mentioning Trump and the Election. Now add the #EndSARS protests in Nigeria and Brexit and so many other events and you can probably see why I hold the stance that I do. Anyway, this isn't a politics blog tbf I just get distracted🥱
The point that I'm making is last year was a big year. The amount of Instagram Lives and Zoom calls that I saw in which addictions were overcome, chains were broken, afflictions were ended, bad habits conquered and toxic mentalities were ceased. Obvs that doesn't mean everything and everyone is perfect and patterned now ofc, besides this is really that "NeW YeAr'S rEvoLuTiOn" time of the year. It's crazy tho because with all the breakthrough and darkness coming to light, I’ve seen in a new way how much we need to put our dependency on God and earnestly seek His face.
I saw in so many ways that the Holy Spirit is required for true freedom. No amount of "good advice" and personal willpower, strength or determination can be enough to fully conquer something once and for all. The running joke is everyone flops their resolutions by the end of January init. Now imagine if there was a remedy that helped people conquer something for eternity😶 The truth of the matter is that we continue to be enslaved even though we have been given the tools to walk in freedom. I honestly pray that is no one's portion in 2021, in fact, I pray the opposite, that we are all able to walk in true freedom by the grace of God. But to do that, we have to understand what true freedom is and what it looks like. A good thing to do is to refer back to scripture so that it's not just me talking nonsense but instead the living and breathing word of God. Ephesians 3:12 says "in Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence". So, therefore, let us approach the throne with that same freedom and confidence that we've been instructed to possess.
The reality is that the enemy plans and schemes for us to fall to sin, to question ourselves and our relationship with God and thus wants us to be bound by those same shackles that hold us back. However, by the faith that we have, those shackles will not destroy us. (Amen). We know this because we have Romans 6:17 that says "but thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance". Key word alert. USED. We USED to be slaves to sin but by the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ, we now have a new ally in Him. We have literally already been set free from all our afflictions and this has been declared from when the words "it is finished" were spoken on the cross. The thing about freedom is that it is not unwilling, it is not reluctant and it is not frustrating. When this is the case, it is evidence that we are still in slavery. Evidence that we haven't fully leant on God's promises over our lives and therefore turn back to the habits of the past. Evidence that we are like the Israelites in the Book of Exodus; given the opportunity to be free but living the lifestyle of a slave, all whilst still craving freedom. You know you are walking in freedom when you are in joyful, peaceful, satisfying obedience to God. In order to achieve this, we must have full faith that God can help us overcome that affliction.
I can testify to this, perfectionism and overthinking were bad habits and ungodly traits that I had normalised and fostered over years of unbelief and not fully knowing God. My thought process was 'if it's not perfect, I might as well have not bothered'. Deep the effects a mentality like this would have on my mental health, on my self-worth and my identity. Now add on top of this my propensity to overthink myself into irrational conclusions to quite explainable situations and it's a mess. MESS. Oh yeah, and I would carry all my issues alone and keep everything to myself which also wasn't healthy and I'm even still working on that. Well, Psalm 55:22 tells us to "cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken" in the same way that Ecclesiastes 4:10 tells us that two is better than one so that "if either of them falls down, one can help the other up..." So these were traits that I had that were not in God's will and tbh yeah it flopped. That's all you need to know still. It flopped init.
Thankfully, those chains were broken and I learnt that my way of life wasn't sustainable. But even after those walls came down, it took me a while to fully believe it. I still required the faith to understand that nothing was too big for God, despite the fact that I had made those things a part of my identity. I wasn't completely walking in the authority that was given to me. Galatians 5:1 says "it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery". So, take-home point: I was free, but I was not standing firm in it.
I read this article on an amazing website called Desiring God that compared freedom to skydiving. I'll paraphrase:
Freedom is not jumping the first time and then standing at the door of the plane the second, third and fourth time.
Freedom is not panicking at the door and being overcome with fear but reluctantly jumping out of compulsion anyway.
Freedom is also not jumping and deciding not to open your parachute mid-fall. You have been given the tools to enjoy the dive by your instructor. Use them bruh.
Most fall into the category of people that have the parachute and choose not to use it. Those are the people that are free-falling, soaring through the air, loving the experience and enjoying the views, thinking they're really livinggggg life. But they are not. They are dead. They don't even know what's about to hit them. They THINK they are living. They THINK they are free. But they are not. They are sensationally dead. As in 💀 emoji dead.
Then there are those that are consumed by fear. Afraid to jump even though they've been given the parachute. Make it make sense. You can't fear freedom otherwise is it really freedom? No. You are like the Israelites. In order to fully be free, you need to willingly jump AND use the parachute that has been given to you otherwise you are heading straight for destruction. Now we all know what that destruction looks like in a spiritual sense. The parachute is our Saviour (obviously I mean duhhh like). Without Him, we would be heading to eternal death and separation from God, no matter how safe and calm we feel. Likewise, without that parachute, we would be heading full-speed towards destruction, thinking that we were free but with plenty of regrets. However, the power and authority of Christ gives us freedom on every single level. He frees us of our addictions and afflictions. But we are also free of shame and guilt through the depth of the forgiveness that we have, allowing us to walk in DOUBLE freedom. This is proven in the word of God as Romans 10:11 tells us that "...anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame".
As a result, we can use our freedom not only to help us achieve God's calling over our lives as ambassadors of His kingdom but also to serve and uplift others. Scripture shows us that our freedom goes beyond ourselves: Galatians 5:13 says "you, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love". More often than not, we associate freedom with independence and self-expression, to 'live our best lives' and to do things that do not glorify God. But as walking testimonies, we can be used to help others reach their potential; Jesus was the freest man to ever live, not bound to any sin or shackle, but "rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" as is written in Philippians 2:7. He used his freedom not to elevate or gratify himself, but to serve.
Therefore, with all this being said, let 2021 be the year you walk boldly in the freedom God has given you to achieve your calling and realise your potential. Your freedom is more than just living your best life at uni, it's deliverance and rescue, it's an understanding that you are set apart. An understanding that you are breaking forth, free of guilt and free of condemnation. You qualify to enter the kingdom of God and receive His blessings, now stand firm in that knowledge and, with the confidence and faith bestowed upon you by the Holy Spirit, walk in that authority holding your certificate of grace and glory.
Okayyyy but it's really a whole 2021 right now can you imagineeee. Nah God is good for real because yikes 2020 what a year uno. On a serious level tho, Happy New Year, I hope you've all stayed safe and enjoyed your Christmas. We really should be grateful tho man so many people lost their lives last year. Human tragedy on the highest scale man. It's by God's grace that I'm even alive and healthy enough to write this and for you to read it. I really remember somebody looking me in my eyes and telling me this pandemic would be over by Summer☹️ But fr guys have a blessed, happy and healthy new year, I pray it’s a year of excellence for all of us🙏🏾
You’re the best.