We Can Do All Things

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Phil 4:10-13

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 30-31; Philippians 4

I want to get like that. To be content in any circumstance… what an amazing thing for one to say. It really sounds almost unbelievable, especially when I think about the fact that Paul was under house arrest when he wrote these words.

Yep… dude was locked up.

The truth of the matter is that we don’t have to be in shackles to be in bondage. There are many different types of bondage that we experience in this world. Some people live under oppressive political regimes, others live in poverty that seems insurmountable, and others live in societies that do not provide opportunities to flourish and grow.

But something that we tend to forget is that there are all kinds of bondage that can reside within us. Many folks are held down by the bonds of addition to drugs, alcohol, food, and sex. What about the folks that cannot let go of attachments to others or are stuck in unforgiveness in ways that prevent them from moving forward with their lives?

But the most powerful form of bondage in my opinion is fear. When we live in fear then we cannot possibly hope to shake free from any of the forms of slavery stated above. Whether you are a freedom fighter, activist, a jilted lover or someone with a dream that seems too big to come true; you have probably experienced this bondage of fear.

The problem with fear is that it keeps us stuck in the past or the future without allowing us to see and experience the present. In the past contains memories of pain, or lost moments of happiness and pleasure. In the future lies hopes and dreams without a visible path to reach them. It is only in the here and now that we can make sense of the past and future so that we can really transform our lives. Once we clearly see what is going on around us and within us in this exact moment we can see our potential for freedom and the first steps necessary to get there. But without this perspective of the present we walk through life blinded by our fear.

We cannot see that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel if we live with our eyes closed.

Examine your life, your decisions and your actions. If there is something about your life that has you feeling out of control, unsatisfied, and unfulfilled then odds are that there are fears that you are holding on to that prevent you from walking through the world with the swagger of a faithful dreamer.