A Cry for Brainstorming

I need your help again.  Next weekend I'm talking about "Dealing with Wounds" from Genesis 50.  Here's what I need from you:

Think about the biggest wounds/offenses/betrayals/mistakes in people's pasts.

• What does it mean to be "totally free" from a wound/offense/betrayal/mistake?
• What does it mean to be "not totally free" from it?
  
• How do people find that freedom?

Can you put your thoughts in the comment section of this blog entry?

Thanks!

Comments

[Doug]

What does it mean to be "totally free" from a wound/offense/betrayal/mistake? It's simple, once you're free you can love and pray for that person or forgive yourself.
There is no way we are going to be perfect in this world and God knows and that is why HE gave us the gift of life through our Lord JESUS.

What does it mean to be "not totally free" from it? Not being total free bottles up anger,jealous, resentment... leaving you from experiencing Gods true Love.

How do people find that freedom? I've been in the shoes of that person that wasn't free and I can't honestly say I'm 100% free now but I'm getting there thru Gods Word.
READ THE BIBLE DAILY and don't skip a day if possible, it will become addicting. God will show you how to get to freedom I promise you!!!!!!!

[A]

I cannot answer the totally free part of your request because I am not free from my wounds yet (it's still too fresh), but I am moving in that direction through daily time with the Lord, scripture memorization "my five small stones", and lots of prayer.

Right now, for me, the "not totally free" is the worry and fear of not being able to trust the ones who have betrayed me. The wound is one that has been reopened from my childhood just as Joseph's was to him.

My comfort has been coming from Psalms 18:2 KJV where it says the Lord is my high tower. He sees what lays ahead for me and has great plans for me just as he did Joseph. Joseph could not see what God was going to do, but he moved on and trusted the Lord.

Another comfort has been realizing that this is an attack and not a personal one, but one to ruin relationships. Genesis 50:20 has been a verse I have clung to the last few weeks as well. "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." That is my hope, "to save many people alive."

[Susan]

I think total freedom is as simple as salvation... it boils down to faith. Freedom comes by faith, not feeling; just as salvation comes by faith, not doing. It's conceptually simple and realistically impossible... without God that is.

I don't know that we are ever "totally free" until we join Jesus in Heaven... as life itself imposes continuous wounds to our hearts, bodies, minds and souls. I think the freedom we can have here is in relinquishing our desire to control or hold onto the wound, and in a step of faith, giving it to God to tend to, care for and avenge if necessary. Then asking Him for and accepting from Him that promise of peace that surpasses all human understanding. Even in the darkest hours, God's peace illuminates, soothes and warms the coldest of hearts.

The most challenging thing I have learned is that faith is not a one step process... but an ongoing journey. My humanity interfers with His divinity. My stubbonness demands to feel free first and then have faith... but faith must come before the feeling of freedom can rush over me. I give my struggles to God and most assuredly grab them back as if I can handle them better. And repeatedly I find myself back on my knees relinquishing control to Him again and again and yet again... But each time I have taken a teeny tiny step closer to freedom by faith. And each time I feel a little more peace within.

Freedom is a journey that begins with faith and ends with peace.

[Meredith]

I've been thinking on this for the past few days. Totally free... I think when you can see that God can use even the stupid mistakes or sin of another person to make you into the kind of person He wants you to be. When you can forgive and wish the other person (assuming it involves another) God's best for their lives sincerely.

Not totally free... I believe it makes people cynical and fearful. It's hard to have faith like a child when you are carrying around all of that pain I think.

I believe that people find that freedom ultimately through Jesus. I think time also helps. When you get closer to who God is then you start becoming thankful... thankful for grace... thankful for His unmerited love. I really believe gratefulness is key to forgiveness and moving on to the good God has for us. That is one thing I pray for my daughter all the time.. that she would become a grateful person to God and others. Oh, and I think talking with others that have been hurt in similar ways is also helpful especially in the early stages...no matter what the issue is.

[Lisa W]

Totally free=when you think back on the issue you:
1)feel peace
2) continue to tally the promises God has kept
3) see the offender as a human who made a mistake, just like you

Not totally free=
1) feel angst
2) continue to tally the ways you've been wronged
3) see the offender as your enemy

How to be free:
1) Take your honest feelings to the foot of the cross where they belong
2) Discontinue your old way of loving. Reread the I Cor. 13 definition and make a list of areas you could improve.
3) Ask God to take your list, update your heart, and reboot with a whole new outlook: God is the hero, Satan is the enemy, you and the offender are just two characters in the same story. Thank God for giving you a role. A grateful heart is the key to your shackles.

[Karen]

freedom lies in the ability to forgive and to be able to love that person that hurt you enough to pray for them. Freedom lies in letting it go and no longer dwelling on what was done to you or what you did, but accepting it happened, asking for forgiveness or giving it, and then learning from it. Freedom comes from living in God's promises to us, having faith in those promises, and then acting on the promises by helping others that are experiencing a similar situation. Freedom comes when you no longer focus on you constantly, but focus on God first then how you can help others second.