Two of my children have come to me recently, each at separate times, with late-night confessions. Each came with apprehension over the topics of discussion, each laden with guilt and shame.
As their mother, fear settled in each time, not knowing what confessions were forthcoming. At the same time, my heart melted with sympathy because I hated seeing them suffer. After prying loose their tongues with promises of grace and mercy, each child confessed to doing something that made her feel less than good.
With each confession, as promised, I offered grace instead of the punishment they expected. In reality, neither confession was even worthy of punishment. Each just needed some guidance.
Funny, neither child knew about the other’s confession, but both were similar in nature. And, oddly enough, they were both related to chains I’ve been begging God to break for a long time. I’ve asked Him to break them in me, and that they not be passed down to my children.
Both children had been listening to the voice of the Enemy…the one that condemns and holds us in a vise grip of guilt and shame. The longer they believed the guilt and shame, the worse they felt. Confession eased their minds and allowed them to understand what they’d done wasn’t worthy of all the guilt and shame heaped on their tender hearts.
I thought about my Heavenly Father who is infinitely more loving, patient and kind than I. Why do we wallow in guilt and shame, rather than run to Him with confession? He longs for us to empty our confessions out to Him so He can fill us with grace and mercy. He hates to see us suffer from living in bondage. He intends freedom and abundant life for us.
My children, no doubt, got their sensitive spirits from me. For as long as I can remember, all it’s taken for me to curl up and wallow in a heap of guilt and shame is one little word from the Enemy. It’s taking years of re-programming my mind to distinguish between the voice of Holy Spirit and that of the Enemy. It seems that the Enemy now wants to attack my children in the same way, and that makes me angry!
One of my daughters asked me how to know the difference between Holy Spirit’s voice and the Enemy’s. I explained that Holy Spirit’s voice is gentle and full of unconditional love and truth and beauty and goodness, and that the Enemy’s is full of lies that make us feel ashamed of who we are and cause us to feel bad about ourselves.
Once again, I find myself asking for chains to be broken, for healthy minds and attitudes that see beauty where it belongs. I’m asking for the chains of guilt and shame to be broken and tossed far, far away…because I want my children to learn now to live in freedom instead of growing up to live in the hellish bondage I’ve experienced.
Jesus came to set free the captives of the Enemy. I’ve often wondered if I really believe that. Now that the Enemy wants to take my children captive, I have to believe it. I have to believe that Jesus walks into the prison, releases the chains and walks with us out the doors of captivity into freedom.
In what ways does the Enemy hold you captive? Will you believe Jesus came to set you free?
