Day 10: Rebuilding {31 Devotions in 31 Days}

"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."

Ephesians 2:19-22

After we have repented of our unhealthy emotions and work towards turning away from them completely, we will find ourselves a little empty. The emotions we were once comfortable with do not fit into our refreshed minds. As our hearts become cleaner, our motives change. Therefore, we must rebuild what our bondage has damaged. 

Let's think about a home. If the foundation of that home was not built upon the right ground, when the earth shifted or the house settles, it would change how straight the supportive beams would be. If one of those beams ever snapped, a complete remodel of the home would be in order. It could prove dangerous to try and continue life with a broken, supportive beam.

Sometimes those supportive beams within us are those same unhealthy emotions, such as depression, anxiety and loneliness. We find comfort in them and rest on them. They have become part of our support system. Throughout the repentance process, God eliminates any man-made support system. Why? That was never in His plan for us! The Master Builder has all the tools, all the knowledge and all the right plans to create the perfect support system for our hearts. Once a man-made support beam is broken, we must approach Him so that He can properly rebuild it.

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Ezekiel 36:26-27

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

The rebuilding process is one that can last a lifetime. Rebuilding means renewing and restructuring. Have you ever started a project at home that should be easy but once you started there were other things that needed attention too? God may start rebuilding one supportive beam but find another beam is about to break. He will alert you and try to get your attention on taking care of that issue as well. We must trust that whatever the Lord shows us that needs to be rebuilt, He is not showing us to do it ourselves but to surrender and obey His commands. This is the only way for an impure heart to be completely changed. 

Reflection:

Now is not the time to hide when something has been revealed. God wants us all to be honest and truthful about the state of our emotions. Have you truly repented of your unhealthy emotions? God cannot rebuild what is not broken. It is time for us to hand over our hearts, completely surrendered to His will.

Action:

Ask the Lord to show you the scriptures needed to start rebuilding your support system. We cannot build without the Word. Pray and fast for wisdom and guidance. Take time with the people you love and bring happiness and joy into your life. Try to limit time with negative influences. The rebuilding process is a vulnerable time and we must be discerning who we spend that time with.

Prayer:

Lord, You are awesome! I'm in awe of who You are and what You've done. I'm so thankful I can approach You and You will embrace me. Thank You for Your mercy and love. Show me my weak support beams and break them so that I may be rebuilt in You. Lord Jesus, guide my thoughts and emotions during this time, that I may only think and do good things that are pleasing to You. Help me move past the brokenness and closer to the completed masterpiece! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Think about the emotions that are not pleasing to God.

Are you ready for them to be broken and made new?

Hello...I'm A Control Freak.

It's all smiles 'til something gets revealed...

Have you ever had an incredible revelation, something about yourself that a light bulb goes off inside your mind, and you think "oh yeah...that makes so much sense!" Last week, I had such a moment.

Remember when I announced that I was taking a break? Well, it did not take long for the Lord to show me that I had a real problem...a problem with control. Not only that, when I feel like I don't have control, this leads to a deep anger that I can't, well, control! I want to be perfect. I want things to be clean. I want people to be good. I want to have everything in its place, and if it gets moved, I get anxiety. I never could figure out what was wrong with me. This past month, I started noticing this was taking over my life...and that my priorities were out of whack because I wanted so bad to control every little thing, and make it a certain way, that nothing got done and I was more overwhelmed than when I started.

I've been reading an amazing book called The Pursuit of Proverbs 31 by Amy Bayliss. In it, Amy speaks with love, great conviction and a honest spirit about things we women struggle with, especially with this chapter and verse of the Bible. She herself wrote about her deliverance from the bondage of control, and I gotta tell ya...I saw myself in her story.
In the chapter "Shattering the Myths", Amy confesses being an over-achiever and that the more she tried to tackle her to-do list and failed, the more frazzled she got; the more frazzled she got, the harder she tried and became dissapointed again, like a "vicious cycle." Can you relate to that?? I can!!

One Sunday, she couldn't take it anymore and cried out to God. She asked Him to take it away from her...He replied "I did." She further explains how she didn't understand because she felt the same! Then she started to worship and tears began streaming down her face. He then said "Let go." She replied, "Let go of what?" "Control," He said. This part of the book hit me hard!! I realized that is exactly what God was telling me, right now...Jacy, let go of control!!
Wow, how can I say I am free in Christ if I am holding onto this power, this desire to control circumstances, people, even emotions?! I am in bondage to control!

Amy continues and asks the Lord how to let go. He tells her to "look down" where she sees a vision of chains all around her. They were unlocked this whole time! She had prevented her own freedom!

In my life, I find myself trying to control what other people do because "I know better" which is not only control, but also self-righteousness. My mind also has been saturated with this judgmental and snarky attitude...not Christ-like at all! It's not enough to just recognize our sin...we must turn away, in other words, have true repentance. That's the hard part. That's where most of us fail. We crave change but we don't want to admit that we did anything wrong.

I don't want to hold on anymore. I want to let it go and be free, like who I'm suppose to be! Don't you? What are you struggling with today? Is there a bondage in your life that God is asking you to "let go"? Let us pray for one another. Comment if you'd like prayer...you don't have to say what you need prayer for unless you want to. Just your request is enough; God is big enough to know :) Since reading that chapter and having my own "let go" moment with God through prayer & repentance, I can tell you that I feel so much better! It takes time, daily, seeking Him to clean me and mold me...but it's better...I'm better...and that's a start...