Freedom is on my mind today. What does it mean to be free? There is a Phillips, Craig and Dean song that I love called "This Is How It Feels to Be Free". Here's the Link:
There are different responses for separation and divorce.
For all, you are tearing apart bonds that the Lord was a part of - for He always is a part of marriage, even if you were not saved at the time. God ordains marriage. Once you are 'hitched', He is for it. His heart is for families.
But as we all know, marriages fail. People separate. One party decides to move on. Or both do.
Those who want the marriage to live on suffer the most...initially. Eventually, though, there is reaping to be done for the path of sinful behaviors that are inflicted upon one another.
Wow. That's a heavy, right?
But God...
God is the way to freedom. First and foremost, when you give your heart to Him, He frees you from the bonds of sin and death. Hallelujah!
For the divorced, there are other freedoms that can come as a result of a divorce.
Freedom from abuse sometimes. Freedom from unhealthy habits. Freedom from loneliness - for being lonely in a marriage is a lonely thing, indeed.
One of the hardest things to admit to yourself when you are divorced is this....once you get down the road a bit, you may find yourself relieved to be free to do what you want. Free to worship God without being mocked. Free to go places and do things without asking permission. Free to be the authentic you - to DISCOVER the authentic you.
Immediately the Christian guilt will kick in. But face it - some of us are coming out of miserable marriages. We gave it our all - but it was miserable. The spouse moved on, there is pain...but there is also freedom.
Freedom has a lot to do with another "f" word - FORGIVENESS. True freedom comes when we forgive our spouse,forgive those who hurt us, forgive ourselves - and sometimes forgive God. It is a process...one step at a time. One day at a time. Sometimes one hour at a time.
Matthew 6:14New King James Version (NKJV)
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."
It's hard. HARD. Hard to forgive people - ESPECIALLY when they are purposely hurting you.
As Joyce Meyers says "Hurting people hurt people." Indeed they do!
It's HARD to forgive people who hurt you without a backward glance.
There is no "unless" in that verse, though. "Forgive them...unless they are a sociopath". "Forgive them...unless they meant to do it". Etc.
Nope, it's forgive them.
Forgive yourself. How do you do that? Well you have to examine yourself. When hard feelings come up, look at why. And ask forgiveness. When you are upset, you can be angry - but don't sin! Forgive.
THEN you will have FREEDOM! Every time you forgive, you break the chain of bondage to hurt and pain and betrayal.
There is hope, dear ones.
You CAN be free.
John 8:36 says this:
Therefore if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!
He has set you free!
Now walk in it!
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