Good afternoon!!

This post was really a hard one to write as it meant allowing God to really reveal my own habits and traits to me – things that I could improve on. So today I want to take the time to talk about staying set free!

Now, often we have encountered habits which have left us enslaved to them, for example – you may have started just drinking as just about enjoyment, but now it seems to be a crutch.

You may be in an environment – relationship or friendship where you know you’re not growing as an individual, but it’s once again something that’s more of a crutch you keep running back to.

You may have just run from relationship to relationship because it’s easier to be with someone else than to learn how to love yourself by yourself first.

You may have had an outward attitude of being mean to people or just brash with your talking, just because it was easier to push others out than to be kinder to them and yourself. Or constantly picking out faults in others because you hadn’t yet learnt to love and forgive yourself and your own mistakes enough to work through them.

So what happens if you break out of those habits, if you’re delivered from a specific lifestyle? The bible says in Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” NKJV‬‬
Or the passion translation reads “Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free—not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:1‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Once you’ve decided to turn from your past, and no longer be that person anymore, you’ve got to refuse to be entangled and not be that person again. Stay set free, and focus on the future.

How does one person do that? I’m gonna share a couple of ways that have worked for me!

1. Change your environment. I found myself around a certain group of people, I couldn’t help myself but join in and just talk about others all the time too, and I had to realise that in this environment I’m not producing the fruit I would want to be eating myself. Not that I had to be horrible to those people, but just knowing that I wasn’t being my best self. This for you may mean changing your company. Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). You may ask, but why don’t you just get stronger and have more self control – I think that is a fair point. However, while you’re still building yourself until a place where your self control is strong, prevention is better than cure. So run from the temptation.

2. Accountability. I was quite fortunate in having a good friend where I would have to tell her, please if you see my falling back into my old habits and I’ve not yet realised, call me out on it. And my stubborn self would sometimes battle and think, but I’m fine! However, having someone who is telling you with love? And who also wants the best for you too, is good. Having counsel and accountability is a great thing (proverbs 24:6)

3. Support. This kind of goes hand in hand with accountability. As human beings we weren’t meant to be alone, we’re social beings, but also I believe God didn’t intend us to be alone. Often the battle is always in our mind, so when you have another person, two are better than one. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). Even if it’s someone to share that “I’m really trying to kick this addiction but today was hard”. In times when we struggle to even pray for ourselves, having someone to reach out and they can pray for you too. Having someone who can encourage you when you can’t even encourage yourself too. It’s so so important.

4. Patience. Deliverance and healing isn’t always a one day thing. But it’s a process, and that process isn’t always beautiful. It requires introspect, realising your positives and negatives. Knowing and learning your triggers, and moving forward. It’s not always easy, and it may take days weeks months, but trust the process and have faith – the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Just because you can’t see the results, it doesn’t mean nothing is happening.

(I kind of wanted to have five, I have a love for lists of five or ten!). However, the fifth one is for you to share with me! In your growth, deliverance or healing, how do you maintain, and stay focused? Share in the comments below and I would love to read!

It’s been a heavy topic, but I really hope you’ve learnt from it, I always say this but I mean it. I write for myself just as much as I share for others. So, make the decision today to be the best version of yourself and to remove yourself from the things which entangle you and stop your growth! Heal and grow in love.

Stay safe. Have an amazing weekend.

God bless x

~ peace , joy & love

TK