Target Point, Vol. 4 of 31 Today's Verse/Thought: Chains That Bind
So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed and refused to eat. I Kings 21:4
Life Implication:
We are blessed to live in a society of freedom. Currently, America is at war in order to protect our freedom. Often with a culture of freedom, instead of responsibility, people will tend to take license. As followers of Christ, we must balance our freedom with responsibility.
This is a culture that is free to take one another to court at a whim. Many Americans have adopted a mentality of SELF-PITY AND VICTIMIZATION. How prominent this attitude is, causing people to feel as though they are victims of betrayal, abuse, the government, an endless myriad of reasons. This mentality leads to an individual becoming angry, sullen, accusatory, arrogant and whiny, just like King Ahab in our scripture above. There's a bumper sticker around that sums it up pretty well, "It's not whether you win or lose but where you place the blame."
I like what Max Lucado says: You can choose to chain yourself to your hurt, or you can choose to put away your hurts before they become hates. Now that's the kind of freedom I think we all would want.
Life Application:
In his book, E-Quake, Pastor Jack Hayford asks the question: Are you ever tempted to bitterness or rancor, to discouragement or despair, driven by those who oppose or oppress you? Who wants such chains wrapped around your being? As we discussed yesterday, again we can make a choice. Binding chains or walking in freedom-what is your choice? Instead of letting "your hurts become hates", begin to worship the Lord. Pastor Jack goes on to say that worship can turn a victim mind-set to a victor's expectancy. Whenever you become tempted to place blame on someone else, STOP, THINK and WORSHIP God. Tell Him that He is wonderful, that He is great, that you love Him. Soon your victim mentality will begin to dissolve away and your attitude will become that of a victor. It's been said, To forgive is to set the prisoner free, and then discover the prisoner was you. Now that's a winning result!
Tomorrow In TargetPoint:
High Octane or Regular?