Before anything, I’d like to welcome a blessed 2020 for everyone reading this!
I haven’t uploaded an entry since that dark month of August of 2019, also dubbed as the worst month of my life, being that lousy time when my mom left earth to be with Jesus. During this introspective time, most of God’s words to me were personal messages and revelations aimed not just to soothe my loss but also to bring in as much revelations as I can receive. Although, these painful months were painful enough to paralyzed me, The Lord was ever faithful in picking me up and in giving me hope to carry on the ministry in which He has entrusted me to work on. This brings to light what Paul said that:
He who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6
I had a lot of receiving to do before I can blast them out here in the blogs. In my reflections over the final months of 2019 those 2 words kept on popping out: Captivity and Boldness. Back then, I didn’t have any idea on what it had to do with my grief. Little did I know that it is going to pave the way for Grace Counselling Centre’s direction in 2020.
CAPTIVITY
It’s in the world’s interest to make sure that we are unhappy and wallowing in anxiety. It pushes us down for its comfort, for its profit. For the only way it (the world and its ruler) can prosper is when the children of God are stuck in captivity.
Captivity in the Old Testament (ie: Captivity of Israel) can be applied to modern day captivity of the mind. It is a state where one’s potential cannot be utilized because we are made busy going around in vain circles (connect to being trapped in slavery). We have been programmed for vanity, anxiety, and fears. Just have a look at what’s happening in Social Media or even in Media in general. Without fear and vanity, I do not know how the world’s economy will sustain. Most of the people I meet in Christian Counselling (if not all) adhere to the world’s message of fear and vanity; and many of us are disciplined for it. We are held captive by these worldly systems and, for this year 2020, we will break free from this.
THE ALTERNATIVE?
We are called to be fruitful. Hence, the world attempts to frustrate our ministries, our calling in Christ. For one can only imagine what one child of God can do for The Kingdom if they operate in their fullest potential.
The world has no choice but to imprison us in our fears and distractions (vanities). This is the captivity we are in today. Like the blind, it brings out the thoughts that we are helpless and impotent; forgetting that we are the children of The most High God. So what then happens? We live life on the defensive, making sure that we are safe and secure, living the mundane and predictable life which this world accepts and even approve of. This feels safe and probably comfortable for the mind accustomed to the cycles of helplessness and fear, but for God, this is called Captivity.
It is time we become aware of this and it is time for us to reject this false reality.
By saying NO and trusting only God, we will see in my future entries (or in your personal readings and reflections of God’s word) how Moses and The Israelite broke free from their bondage. How Peter who was programmed by the world to merely be a fisherman (even after The Resurrection) broke free from his mental prison to become a great fisher of men. How Jacob, raised to be a scumbag supplanter became Israel.
It is God who breaks us free from captivity made by this world. My task in Grace Counselling Centre is simply to plant the new seed that will replace the old (and faulty) which the world has ingrained in you. Your task, my dear friends under counselling, is to water this seed. In the end, it is The Lord who will make it grow (1 Corinthians 3:6).
Counselling is here to help you soar away from this captivity and we need the boldness to accomplish this. I know how terrifying the unknown future is, but I’d rather head that direction than remain a slave in my current Egypt.
Although, I find clinging on to the pain of the loss of my mother comfortable, it has come to the point where this behaviour has become vain and a trap back into captivity. I will have to move on to my calling. Knowing that she is up there cheering us on (Hebrews 12:1) gives me this boldness that I can only receive in Jesus Christ.
2019 will always be remembered as the crappiest year of my life, 2020 is the year where I say NO and break free from this captivity. This is the year of boldness to pick up my mat and start walking on to our freedom in Jesus Christ.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16