Basic obedience to God’s Word provides access to the armor of God, which protects us from spiritual warfare. Paul metaphorically describes believers as soldiers in battle, wearing armor. The Lord does not leave us defenseless. In Christ, God gives us the spiritual resources to stand firm; precisely, truth, righteousness, gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word of God (Eph. 6:14-17, ESV) are all represented with each piece. Another vital part of the armor is prayer (Eph. 6:19).
The term obedient may seem harsh or turn some people off. However, according to The Holman Bible Dictionary, ‘obey’ is translated as ‘to hear’ in the Old Testament. The NT translation has several words to describe it: to hear or listen in a state of submission and to trust are among them. “A person’s obedient response to God’s Word is a response of trust or faith” (Brand, 1176).
Jesus taught that our love for God motivates us to obey Him (John 14:21, 23-24; 15:10). Our obedience springs from gratitude for grace (Rom. 12:2, Brand 1176). Obedience comes from a heart that trusts God and produces blessings that God yearns to give us (Brand, 1177). We obey when we listen to God’s Word and respond appropriately. This is why Jesus says anyone with ears should listen (Matt. 11:15).
The Holy Spirit gives our prayers power (Rom. 8:26-27; Gal. 4:6). Praying in Jesus’ name shows we seek God’s will (Brand, 1292). The indwelling Spirit enables a believer to call God Abba – prompting the believer to address God with a child’s confidence (Rom 8:14). This indicates an intimate relationship with God, our Father. It is a natural response when we ardently pursue communion with God through His Word, conversation (prayer), and listening (obedience).
Through the Holy Spirit, believers can access powerful weapons, protection, discernment, and a greater understanding of God’s will. The Holy Spirit within us is greater than the one who is in the world (I John 4:14). This refers to Satan (Brand, 1502).
Satan would like to keep unbelievers in the dark by veiling their eyes and ears from hearing the gospel. Through faith in God, the veil is removed, and believers enjoy free access to God, who transforms their lives (Brand, 1627; 2 Cor. 3:15-18). This is a stunning process that saves us from the bondage of sin.
One of my favorite verses tells us that there is freedom where the Spirit of the Lord is (2 Cor. 3:17). When the Holy Spirit enters our hearts, we are free from our chains and our blindness to the gospel. Our minds, hearts, and ears are open to God. Our gratitude for His grace and forgiveness produces a deep love that we want to listen to and respond appropriately to God’s Word (obey), which leads to many blessings.
I am grateful for my freedom in Christ and God’s many blessings. My love for God makes me want to be a better human, more like Jesus, with kindness and humility. Sometimes, that means I must use my weapons as protection against the enemy who wants the opposite. The power of the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ mighty name make the devil run every time, especially when you proclaim it out loud. Amen.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17, Emphasis added).
I come from a family of storytellers. Dad was a fantastic narrator. Whether from the head of the table, the pulpit, or his comfy recliner, he had invigorating stories whenever we gathered. It comes as no surprise that his children inherited the storytelling gene. My brother, JD, tells stories every day through his job as a fantastic editorial cartoonist and speaker. Check out his page and subscribe to his weekly blog, Crowe Jam.
Likewise, my sister, Donna, uses her talent to paint vivid pictures with words; she also has a fabulous blog called The Old Soul Medicine Crow. As for me, you, my readers, are my outlet for my meager attempt to share my stories and messages. Nevertheless, I give God all the glory and am grateful for the opportunity to communicate through my writing and photography. It brings me joy.
My storytelling helped me get more than one job. When I interviewed for my second job, I was asked to share an experience that stood out to me from the job I was leaving, as a dispatcher for a trucking company. This story was the first thing that came to mind: Zach, our local driver, picked up the loads and returned them to the lot until it was time for delivery. On this occasion, he picked up at a company in a neighboring county that used inmates to load trucks. As he was returning, I received a phone call from my contact at the facility informing me they were missing an inmate.
The voice on the other end surprised me. “We suspect he may be stowed away in your trailer.”
His nonchalant statement did not match my urgency for the situation, as he calmly assured me he was not armed or considered dangerous. Still, he was a fugitive trying to escape, and I didn’t know what he might do.
This was many years ago, telling my age, there were no cell phones to reach Zach to let him know he may be hauling an escapee. He didn’t even have a CB in his truck. What was I to do but call the state police and have them on standby? They asked for a truck description and searched for the inmate inside the trailer when it arrived. They did not find a stowaway. Still, this incident is not easily forgotten. This memorable tale was a hit with my soon-to-be new supervisor.
My subsequent employment required storytelling. I worked as a reporter and photographer for my hometown newspaper, earning my column, Angela’s Anecdotes, where I mostly shared family stories. I aim to use photography and words to portray images that pull the reader into the scene, although I sometimes fall short. I admire my siblings for their God-given gifts and natural abilities, but my lack doesn’t deter me from sharing a good anecdote. It’s in my genes, after all.
Growing up, our neighbor, Mr. Hall, was a grand storyteller. We would sit and listen to him for hours. On one occasion, in the 70s, when voice recorders were our new fascination, Mom decided to record one of Mr. Hall’s boyhood memories about stealing and eating watermelon from someone else’s patch. When he was finished, she asked him to listen to it as she played it back on our new recorder.
I will never forget his astonished response, “That feller on the radio has had the same experiences I have!” That is one priceless memory.
Jesus was a storyteller. He used parables to teach his disciples many excellent lessons that we can apply to our lives today. One significant lesson Jesus taught His disciples, whom He sent out to share the Good News about the Gospel, was to pray for workers for the harvest (Luke 10:2, NLT). In this parable, the harvest is the people who need to hear the Gospel and be gathered in God’s presence (Is. 27:12). The laborers or workers are those Jesus implores to tell others about Salvation by grace through Christ. We are to be laborers for the harvest and pray for others to share the Good News.
Sharing the story of Christ can be challenging. Still, as Christ’s followers, we always have a story to tell about our rescue. Our stories constantly intertwine with Jesus’ story. Sometimes, sharing the Good News is as simple as sharing our story. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Jesus modeled a life of trust and dependence on our heavenly Father (Luke 11:1-13). We can also place our faith in God and depend on the Holy Spirit to give us the right words. We need to be willing to try. God will do the rest and place people who need to hear our story in our paths. Praying for that opportunity and showing God you are willing doesn’t hurt. Likewise, pray for others willing to do the same thing.
Another great parable that stood out to me while reading the book of Luke is when Jesus explains the cost of following Him. “But Jesus told him, ‘Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:62, Emphasis added). In this parable, the NLT Study Bible explains that “the ancient farmer guided a plow with their left hand and his oxen with his right. Looking away would turn the plow out of his path. For a believer, looking back meant placing earthly concerns ahead of God.”
Whenever we neglect to share the Good News as Jesus commanded (Matt. 28:19-20) because of fear, doubt, or whatever reason we concoct, we let our earthly concerns take priority over God. Whenever fear or doubt creeps in, the enemy keeps us from sharing Jesus’ story. After the seventy-two disciples Jesus sent out returned from their Gospel expedition, they were astonished those demons obeyed them when they used Jesus’ name (Luke 10:17). Jesus told them not to rejoice in their spiritual power but instead in the greatness of God, who freely gives salvation (V20).
Likewise, we can use our spiritual weapons to keep the enemy at bay, step out in faith, and share our story of salvation with others so they can enjoy God’s presence and accept His gift of salvation if they choose. At least by sharing, they can hear the Good News and hopefully receive the opportunity. This is when we pray for the Holy Spirit’s help to stir their mind because it is not of us but of God to transform a person’s heart. Sometimes, we plant a seed that someone else will water – a blooming flower needs both. It is God who gives the growth (I Cor. 3:6).
As many of you know, my story has many twists and turns (literally), including an eye-opening car crash on a curvy mountain road that woke me up from my self-induced stupor and a lifetime of people-pleasing and co-dependency that nearly strangled the life out of me before I realized God is in control – not me – as I tried to believe through my poor choices. He spared my life for a reason, and I knew then that I needed to pay attention to what God wanted. He rescued me from a miserable existence and life of abuse to empower me with a voice to say no and taught me how to set boundaries that lead to life – not death. God gave me a story to tell that I undoubtedly cannot ignore His existence, nor the fact that I would not be here today without Him. My relationship with God is the most essential thing in my life. When I finally figured that out, all my other relationships were better, and everything started to fall into place.
When I first began sharing my story with women’s groups to teach the red flags of abuse and empower them with the knowledge that breaks generational cycles – I had one group leader tell me I could not talk about God. They didn’t understand that I could not tell my story without talking about God. He is my story! He rescued me! That is my story! I will never leave Him out of it for anyone. Still, there are ways to share our stories without blatantly preaching to others about their need for salvation – which turns most people off. However, it is undeniably woven throughout my story in the miraculous ways God turned my life around and what I am doing today that I have no justification for claiming the glory for. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen (Gal. 1:5).
What’s your story? Can you use it to share the Good News with others? I pray you become a laborer if you aren’t already. The harvest is plenty and ripe for the picking. I hope you glean something from this message and share it with someone who may need to hear it.
“Yet the time will come when the Lord will gather them together like handpicked grain” (Is. 27:12, Emphasis added).
“These were his instructions to them: The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So, pray for the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, ask him to send more workers into his fields” (Luke 10:2, emphasis added).
Although the Fourth of July may be over (until next year), the fireworks continue to keep us up at night. Celebrating freedom comes at a cost –not just the loss of sleep.
Like our freedom in Christ, Jesus paid the price at a high cost, which means substantially more than losing a few nights of sleep. Still, the celebration of freedom we enjoy each day can sometimes be taken for granted.
One of my favorite verses from Paul’s words, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17, ESV, emphasis added), holds a profound meaning. The ESV Study Bible explains that this freedom is the multi-faceted liberation that comes with salvation in Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit, which is freedom from condemnation, sin, guilt, and death. This freedom also gives us access to the loving presence of God as it does away with the old covenant. It invites us into a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Something I did not know existed for most of my life.
After many years of bondage, Christ showed me a different way. With God’s help, I broke out of the lies that kept me in captivity. The horrific, suffocating cycle I was stuck in no longer held me imprisoned. It took a tragic accident to jolt me awake from my self-induced stupor. But God gave me the power and freedom to say no, set boundaries, and begin to peel back the layers of my past that led to healing.
During a difficult season in my life, I thought God was punishing me for my poor choices. The mental anguish that followed was destructive, but I now realize it was the consequences of my bad decisions – not God’s punishment. God was always rooting for me. He didn’t wait for me to clean myself up to take me in His arms. He took me in His arms first and then helped me make the necessary changes to align with His will.
As achronic people-pleaser, I had a lot to learn. I can certainly relate to Paul when he writes, “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10, emphasis added).
Absolute freedom comes from surrendering everything to Christ and keeping Him at the center. Once I figured this out, everything else fell into place. I am free from shame and the lack of self-worth, and I find my identity as a daughter of the King.
Who are you trying to please – man or God? What does freedom mean to you?
Faith Walk Ministries, Inc. 