SERIES TITLE: CONTROL FREAKARTICLE SIX: WALKING IN YOUR NEWFOUND FREEDOM
I feel like as I write these “Control Freak” articles, that I am talking about someone else because of the deep changes the continue to take place in my life.
andiandrew.com
Remember, this is one step at a time… You’ll look back one day as you embark upon your journey to freedom and be amazed at what God has done as you consciously align yourself with your new revelation. Once the moment of freedom takes place, you have a spiritual stewardship responsibility to run in the revelation that’s been given. Otherwise, you’ve opened a door to allow “the roaring lion to devour” again. The word says that “the enemy prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) After you get free, you have to get good at saying “You may not.”
1 Peter 5:8 AMP
8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.
While we were in Africa, we got to watch a lion feeding take place.
It was extraordinary and frightening all at the same time. Let’s just say I am glad there was a fence between us and the lions. After we watched the feeding take place, our group went over to another pride of lions that hadn’t been fed yet to get some pictures. They’re truly majestic animals. We had our 6 year old son Jesse with us who was by far the smallest person in the group. We started to notice that one lion in particular (the dominate male) would not take his eyes off of Jesse. Wherever Jesse walked, this lion went. And when Jesse would crouch down, he would fiercly roar and try to get through the fence to devour him. We did a little experiment and had Jesse run up and down the fence just to see if the the lion would follow him. And sure enough, the lion ran wherever Jesse ran. This lion was hungry and was pining to get through the fence to feast on my son.
As a mother, my hackles went up just watching all of this. I went into protection mode. Even though the gate was there, I was ready to step in front of my son and be dinner for this lion. He was literally going to have to step over my dead, devoured body before he could touch my son.
Revelation 12:12b NIV says: “But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury,because he knows that his time is short.”
The devil especially hates free people. So be on your watch, and tell “the roaring lion” where to go.
What I understood as I watched this lion in Africa try to get to my son, is that he went after who he thought was the most vulnerable. When you step into your new found freedom in any area of your life, there is a level of vulnerability that you walk in and it’s just wisdom to be aware of this. You’ve just opened you’re heart up to God, to let Him do major surgery. That’s the moment that the enemy loves to begin to ‘prowl around’ to seek if he may devour you and steal the seed of freedom that has been planted in your heart. When you don’t allow it to be stolen, it will grow and bear great fruit. For that to happen, above all else you’ve got to guard and protect what God has done within you.
Proverbs 4:23 NIV “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Just imagine how God feels when the enemy prowls around you… He get’s angry! He is so passionate about you. The enemy literally has to ‘step over’ God’s one and only son Jesus dead and resurrected body to get to you. Just read Psalm 18 to see just how fierce God is to protect you when the enemy tries to come after you.
So how do you protect the seed of newfound freedom within your heart? You’ve got to let LOVE in.
andiandrew.com
His perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18), and control is rooted in fear. If this is true (and it is), then you’ll need love as the salve to heal every part of a recovering control freak… You’ve got to step into it. Once a moment of deliverance or freedom takes place, it’s not surprising to begin to sense fear trying to knock on the door of your heart… Fear that things will spiral out of control, so you have to take over again. Fear that you won’t be protected or covered, so you go back to your old ways and control situations with anger to self-protect. Fear that life won’t turn out how you dreamed or imagined, so you’ll work hard without God’s grace to earn and control every circumstance in your life.
Anyone tired from just reading that? I know I am.
Instead, we have to CHOOSE to REMAIN in His love. It’s a daily, sometimes moment by moment choice. Remember in the last article when I talked about CHOOSING to cultivate The Fruit of The Spirit instead of choosing to control ? I said…
“I choose to exchange the fear that binds and controls with the LOVE that casts out all fear”
Just like love is a choice sometimes in marriage (It’s more than a feeling), it’s a conscious choice to remain in the Fathers love. To believe that we have the capacity to love… Whether that’s to love others, or to love ourselves because He first loved us. You have to allow a great exchange to take place. To hand the fear over, and receive the unending love that covers all, and causes you to overcome.
When you know you’re loved, no lion can devour you… The ‘accuser’ cannot touch you.
John 15:9-11 NIV
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
1 John 4:18-19 NIV
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us.
So let love in, and step into the newfound freedom that is yours to fully walk in all the days of your life…
andiandrew.com