[This reflection by Dennis Ginter was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 18/Aug/2024]
Recently, at church on Sunday mornings, we’ve been singing “He has broken every chain!” But, for most of us, that doesn’t really ring true. We continue to struggle in despair to find freedom from sin in our lives – stuff that we’ve been enslaved to for years. Sometimes all of our lives!
I know what that feels like. Instead of a broken chain, we find ourselves lashed to a thick elastic – we experience periods of slack followed by a mighty tug! And we’re back into the same old behaviour.
On Tuesday evenings a Twelve Step group meets in our building. About a dozen men helping each other – by the strength of the “Higher Power” – break addictions to alcohol, drugs, whatever!
I think there’s one thing they’ve found that most of us haven’t: the power of on-going, absolute honesty. We church goers are so ashamed of our personal struggles that we try to hide them from each other.
Until we bring our stuff into the light – by being openly accountable to a few people we trust – it will be almost impossible to find freedom. Jesus IS the chain-breaker! But even He can only help us with what we bring to Him. Only mushrooms grow well in the dark!
Blessings, Dennis
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Last week’s reflection: When Brethren Dwell Together in Unity by Chris Ginter
Contributed by Dennis Ginter; © Dennis Ginter