Yet we all have behavioral expectations. Every church or Christian institution I know of has categorized certain choices as inappropriate or off limits. In the Bible college I attended, we had all kinds of rules. Men weren’t allowed facial hair unless they were Jewish. We couldn’t grow hair past the top of our collars. We couldn’t walk on the grass. We couldn’t stay out past 11:00pm. Lights out at 11:30pm. No walking on the grass (clearly this one bugged me). No public (or private) displays of affection with girls. Girl had to wear skirts past their knees.

Was this legalism? Perhaps.

But if so, what might it mean to be free of legalism? Does trouncing on some freshly cut Bermuda Grass constitute freedom from legalism? For many it does. Because we think of legalism in terms of a particular set of rules, we tend to define freedom from legalism in terms of non-conformity to those rules. If your church doesn’t include instrumental music for corporate worship, then “freedom” means hiring a rock band. If your church doesn’t allow girls to show any skin below the chin, then freedom must mean the abandonment of such standards of modesty. The more skin the more freedom? Seems a suspicious trajectory if you take it far enough. But IF we define legalism in terms of rule keeping, this is the only definition of freedom available to us: not-rule keeping. But surely God has made us to be defined by more than what rules we do or do not follow.

What if legalism is something else altogether?

Paul tells as story in Galatians 4 about Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. Through Hagar, Abraham’s son Ishmael was born. Through Sarah, Abraham’s son Isaac was born. They each represent one of two ways we can live before God. The two ways can be discussed with various terms: legalism/freedom, spirit/flesh, etc. The overall context of Galatians is Paul’s answer to the issue of legalism. Male believers in Galatia are being pressured to conform to Jewish law, specifically circumcision. This story lies at the heart of Paul’s response.

I find it interesting that the story isn’t about rules at all. It’s about source. The issue between Hagar and Sarah is that one relied upon what Abraham could do apart from God’s promise, provision, and power. The other relied upon God (though Abraham and Sarah obviously still had a role to play!).

Legalism is ultimately an expression of self-reliance. It’s not about rules. It’s about source. The problem with the Law isn’t that the Law isn’t right. It is. It just isn’t powerful. It can’t help you fulfill what it requires. It leaves you in the position of having to rely on self. Self-reliance is the root of legalism.

Once I recognize this, the issue of rules becomes a non-issue. If I’m truly legalistic (self-reliant), I can do so either as a rule keeper or a rule breaker. Either path, I’m relying on myself. If I conform to Bible Belt cultural mores concerning alcohol consumption or if I choose to adopt a more European approach–either way, if I’m relying on self I’m ultimately still bound in legalism.

On the other hand, if I’m looking to God(rather than my ability to conform to rules or my freedom to not conform) as my source, then there are very few rules that will bother me. His power enables me to follow any rule. This is the only model I’m aware of that makes sense of Paul’s actions. He wrote to the Galatians that if they submitted to circumcision then Christ would be of no benefit. This same Paul required Timothy to be circumcised in order to appease the Jews. Which is it Paul? Which rule should we follow? It’s not about that.

The Galatians were being asked to rely on their own effort to fulfill the Law. This isn’t congruent with Christ. Timothy wasn’t being asked to rely on his effort. His trust was in God’s power, promise, and provision. With God as his source, Timothy is free to submit to a great number of rather uncomfortable rules.

It’s all about source.

There’s no need to react to laws that prohibit by casting off all constraint. We are ultimately free to submit, to yield, to prefer others, to serve them. We can submit to rules, even unnecessary rules, without offense. This is true freedom from legalism.

In the previous verse, Paul categorized his audience as being made up of Greeks and Barbarians (to the Greek, anyone who isn’t Greek). In these verses the categorization is different–Jews and non-Jews. In either case, it’s evident that Paul feels a calling to preach this gospel to everyone.

I first remember this passage from a summer camp I attended with my youth group when I was in junior high. Our theme for the week was Not Ashamed. There were many tears at the altar as I, along with many of my friends, confessed to the sin of being secret Christians at school and secret sinners at church. We would no longer be ashamed of our faith. If memory serves, this was the camp where I first felt a calling to vocational ministry (though at the time I had no idea what that would entail). I’m quite sure that the promises I made to God at the altar that week were only occasionally fulfilled once we returned home.

These verses remain precious to me now, even as I’m still growing in boldness, even as I’m still trying to figure out what it means to be in vocational ministry.

For Paul, and for the saints in Rome, the unashamed declaration of the gospel that Jesus is Lord meant social and economic marginalization at best, and, on the pendulum’s darker side, boiling oil or being fed to the lions, for the entertainment of Nero and his exhilarated throngs.

The overall theme of Paul’s letter emerges here. This dangerous good news is worth the risk because of what it contains. God has finally revealed his righteousness. N.T. Wright uniformly defines “righteousness” as “God’s covenant faithfulness”. Read this way–God has finally revealed how he will be faithful to his covenant. The standard Reformed reading would be more like–God is finally made provision for the unrighteous to share in his own moral perfection. I’ve read some really good books arguing over which of these Paul intended. I think he meant both.

How is this gospel to be received? By faith. What will be the result? Those who respond with faith will become “the righteous”, those to whom God has displayed his covenant faithfulness, those who have been enabled to share in God’s own righteousness. Those who live. Life can be found in no other way.

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There are two common objections to my view.

• Objection One: A Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit cannot co-exist with demonic spirits.
• Answer: If this is true, then demonic spirits cannot exist at all. God is omnipresent. He is fully present in every place. If demons exist at all, then God co-exists with them. He really doesn’t seem too threatened.

• Objection Two: A Christian is possessed by God and therefore cannot be possessed by the devil.
• Answer: Possession is a matter of ownership, not influence. The language of demonic possession exists nowhere in the Greek within the New Testament. “Possessed by a Demon” is the English translation of a single Greek word which basically means “demonized”. It has no connotation of ownership or possession, only of presence and influence. It is therefore not contradictory at all to speak of a Christian belonging to God yet being under the influence of a demonic spirit.

Is there a biblical case that believers can be oppressed by demons? I believe there is.

1. Paul was harassed by a demonic spirit.

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.” (2 Corinthians 12:7, ESV)

2. Paul warns believers that if they don’t respond to their own anger in healthy ways, they will open up a door in their lives to the enemy.

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26–27, ESV)

3. Peter recognized that Ananias, a believer, was operating under the influence of the devil.

“But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?” (Acts 5:3, ESV)

4. James gives specific instructions to believers regarding how they can resist demonic oppression.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7, ESV)

5. Peter warns believers to guard their thought life because the enemy is looking for opportunities to harass.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, ESV)

6. Paul affirms the importance of forgiveness in ensuring that we are not outwitted by the enemy. The word outwitted means “to have more”, and speaks of having influence.

“Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.” (2 Corinthians 2:10–11, ESV)

7. Paul instructs believers in regards to spiritual warfare, using the metaphor of wrestling. He thus likens our spiritual battle with demonic forces to hand to hand combat. The implication is that if we don’t engage in battle in the right ways, we won’t stand against him. Instead of us pinning the enemy down, he will exercise dominion over us.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:11–12, ESV)

8. Israel’s entrance into and possession of the Promised Land serves for us as a type and shadow. Though the land was theirs by inheritance, it was nevertheless still occupied by their enemies. Crossing the Jordan did not result in immediate expulsion of their enemies. Israel had to, by faith and obedience, take possession of their inheritance through a process over time.
“The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you.” (Deuteronomy 7:22, ESV)

“I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you.” (Exodus 23:29, ESV)

Spiritual warfare is a very real thing. Christians need to be aware of the battle and actively engage in the battle for the enemy is always looking for an opportunity to gain influence in our lives. But maintaining a posture of surrender toward God, staying alert regarding the enemy’s schemes, and exercising the authority we have in Jesus’ name, we can be assured of victory.

1. You must examine the right person.

So often, when we are struggling to forgive ourselves, the obstacle we face is a deep awareness of our own guilt. We KNOW we are guilty. We did it. Forgiving ourselves can feel like the moral equivalent of saying 1+1=3. It’s just not right and saying that it is right doesn’t make it so. We know we’re guilty. Saying that we’re not just doesn’t sit well. As long as we are examining self, this will be our conclusion. But God, in forgiving us, doesn’t examine us. He examines Jesus. He declares us innocent, not on the basis of examining our righteousness (or lack thereof), but on the basis of examining Jesus’ righteousness. If I want to begin to see myself as righteous, the way God sees me, then I must begin to examine the right person. If I’m struggling to forgive myself, then very likely I am evaluating my own righteousness instead of Jesus’ righteousness.

2. You must receive grace at the level of identity.

Through the cross, God has provided an offering for our sin. Payment has been rendered for our guilt. God’s wrath toward sin has been propitiated through Jesus’ blood. It is possible to fully embrace this and still struggle to forgive self. We understand that payment has been made for what we’ve done, but we also retain a deep awareness that we are the kind of person who would do such things. We know we have a guilt problem. But we intuitively know that our problem is deeper than that. It’s not just that I commit sins; it’s that I am a sinner. It’s not just that I do bad things; it’s that I’m the kind of person who would do them. Our problem isn’t simply a behavior problem, it’s an identity problem. So though we accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as God’s provision for our guilt, we remain aware of who we really are and live continually under that burden of shame. We need a revelation that on the cross, Jesus provided for more than just our guilt. Jesus took my guilt to the cross, but he took more than just my guilt. He took me to the cross too (see Gal 2:20). Once I begin to receive Jesus’ death, not just as God’s answer for my guilt, but also as God’s provision to make me a brand new kind of person, then I am able to see the old me as crucified, dead, and buried and can embrace God’s perspective about who I am in Christ.

3. You must exercise your will.

When I choose to examine my own lack of righteousness and judge myself guilty as a result, then I am, in that moment, exercising my will to agree with the accuser (the devil) about myself. When I choose to bring my guilt to the cross but not my identity, I am exercising my will to hang on to identifying myself with the old man/sin nature instead of identifying myself with Christ. In both cases I am exercising my will in disagreement with God’s truth. To truly forgive myself, I must exercise my will to enter into agreement with God’s valuation of Jesus’ blood on the cross for me and God’s identification of me with Christ in his death and resurrection. What might it look like to exercise your will in this way?  Pray something like this right now:

Heavenly Father, today I choose to agree with you about the sufficiency of Jesus’ blood. I agree with you that Jesus’ righteousness is perfect in every way and that my status before you is solely based upon your examination of Jesus’ righteousness imputed to me on the basis of faith alone. You are not examining my righteousness so neither will I. I also choose to not only bring my guilt to the cross. Today I choose to bring who I am to the cross. Thank you that when Jesus died, my old sinful nature died too. Thank you that in Christ, I am a brand new kind of person. Thank you that you’ve given me a new nature, your nature. In Jesus name, Amen.

At first glance this verse might seem redundant. Why has Christ set us free? So that we’ll be free. Is Paul just repeating himself? What’s his point?

The first thing I note is that “freedom” is a noun and “set free” is a verb. The noun version specifically refers to a free person as opposed to a slave. Why has Jesus set us free? So that we will live life as a free person. This brings us to the overall context of Galatians and this particular section. Paul is addressing people who have been set free but are somehow managing to live like they’re still in slavery.

In the previous chapter, Paul clarifies this by refering  to a familiar story from the Old Testament.

“Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, “Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.” Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. ” (Galatians 4:21–5:1, ESV)

This story illustrates that the real distinction between Law and Grace is a choice between self-reliance and God-reliance. Hagar (who represents the Law) was Sarah’s maidservant. She gave birth to Ishmael. Sarah (who represents Grace) was Abraham’s wife. She gave birth to Isaac. Ishmael was conceived when Abraham decided to trust in what he could do without God. Isaac was conceived when Abraham decided to trust God to do what only God can do. Law depends upon my ability and strength. Grace depends on God’s ability and strength.

So when Paul exhorts us to live as free men rather than as slaves, he is exhorting us to abandon self-reliance. The life of grace is a life that rests in the strength of God’s work. Whenever I live in a way that ultimately relies upon my own strength and ability, I am living as a slave. Only when I choose to rely upon God for that which only he can do in my life am I truly free. Slavery is about working. Freedom is about rest.

“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. ” (Hebrews 4:9–10, ESV)

As a child I struggled a great deal with fear and terror. A horror movie I should never have watched provided an open door for me to fall into this very trap. The enemy whispered “Alan, you’re not safe alone.” I agreed. From that point forward for a period of several years, whenver I was alone I would experience crushing waves of panic and terror. How to stay safe? Never be alone. Stay busy if at all possible – always with friends, always at church, or at school activities. I learned to say yes to everything. Why? To protect myself. If alone, at least turn on the TV, the radio, something, anything to at least give me the illusion of not being alone. The enemy became my source of truth. I became my source of safety.

The genius of our enemy’s strategy is that it preys powerfully upon a core need we all share – security. Something painful occurs and he siezes the opportunity to point out that this event proves there is no safety in our circumstances. He then nudges us toward the “logical” conclusion that since there is not safety in our circumstances, we had better take matters into our own hands. Become your own source of security. Build walls. Get defensive. Get passive. Get angry. Or at least medicate to numb the pain. Drugs, alcohol, food, work, ministry…any of these will do the trick.

The insidiousness of the enemy’s strategy is in his logic. If an argument’s assumptions are valid and the argument itself is logical, then the conclusion has merit. The enemy’s argument has very strong logic. But what about the assumptions? This is where he gets really sneaky. The overt assumption is that circumstances are a very poor source of security. This is a valid assumption. The logical argument from this assumption is quite effective. But there’s a covert assumption, one that is unspoken but very present, on which his logic depends. It is an assumption that if made overt, if articuled with clarity, will cause his entire strategy to crumble to the ground. It is the assumption that my only options for security are either my circumstances or my self. By pointing out that my circumstances are not safe, and assuming that circumstances and self are my only options, he leads me down the path of self protection and self medication.

Ministry we receive can be ineffective if this reality is not dealt with intentionally. We might often have an opportunity to identify and renounce the overt lie. But because the covert lie remains intact, the activation of our will falls flat. Why? Because the overt lie isn’t a lie at all if the assumptions are true. If the enemy’s lie is “You are not safe in your circumstances”, then saying back “Oh yes I am” is no good at all. Our heart knows it just isn’t true. The covert lie must be identified and renounced. It’s not just “I am too safe alone.” It’s: “Today I choose to renounce the lie that I can ever find safety in circumstances or self. Today I choose to surrender fully to you God, the only true source of security that exists.”

There’s a third option. There’s a good, near, and powerful God who can and will be my source of security regardless of what’s happening in my circumstances, regardless of what is done to me. This is the reality the enemy never points out but knows to be true. The big lie is the one he doesn’t articulate. The big lie is the assumed one. The big lie is that my only options are circumstances or self. When I believe the lie and exercise my will accordingly, he succeeds in building increasingly high barriers in my heart and mind that stand in the way of me ever truly turning to the only source of security that exists, God himself.

There is no way out of the fear trap that doesn’t include turning to God as my source of truth AND as my source of security. This is the heart of repentance. This brings me to the kind of truth that sets captives free.

1. A Kingdom Parable
2. Levels of Change
3. Kingdom of God
4. Hearing God
5. Life in the Kingdom

What is so important about these five classes? I’m glad you asked! People who begin the Freedom Ministries process at Gateway Church often do so because something in their life isn’t working. They’re stuck in some area of spiritual growth. They’re trapped in some repeating cycle of destructive behavior. They have a problem and they want help.

The critical thing to understand is that though a problem may be driving a decision to participate in Freedom Ministries, focusing on that problem will not help anyone experience lasting freedom. So the very first component in our process doesn’t focus on problems at all. A perspective shift is essential and these five classes are designed to help people begin to make that shift.

Seeking First the Kingdom – You will never find solutions to your problems by focusing on your problems. That kind of focus is always dependent upon human effort where the only solution to frustration and failure is to try harder. Solving the root issues in our lives is something only God can do. What we need is the presence and power of Jesus. Seeking the King and his Kingdom is the only path to lasting freedom. Our five Foundations of Freedom classes are all designed to help you begin to shift your focus away from seeking first solutions to problems and on to seeking first the Kingdom of God.

Hearing God’s Voice – It is very typical for people in our time and culture to assume that more and better knowledge is the answer to life’s problems. If my life isn’t working, then surely there must be some principle I need to learn and apply. If the root of my issues is truly ignorance, then that kind of solution might serve me reasonably well. But what if my problem is worse than ignorance? What if the deepest root of my problem is self-reliance and what if the process of learning and applying principles would really only serve to reinforce my tendency to rely on self? That’s why we must learn to connect to God as our source. We don’t need to learn and apply. We need to hear and believe. We don’t need to try harder we need to surrender. Our five Foundations of Freedom classes are designed to help you begin to live a different way from a different source, learning to hear and respond to the voice of God.

Becoming a Disciple - Our Foundations of Freedom classes are designed to equip you to hear God, respond to his voice, receive from his hand, and live out an ongoing experience of deepening freedom. In these classes you will hear and respond to God, but more than that, you will learn that you can hear and respond to God in your day to day life. This process will actually equip you to follow Jesus, to be led by the Spirit, to be a disciple.

Pursuing Process – Freedom Ministries doesn’t offer a quick fix. It will include powerful and transforming moments with God, but these encounters will be experienced within the context of a broader process, an ongoing process we invest in throughout our lives. God wants more for you than to merely free you from your issues and struggles. He’s created you for more than sobriety and/or good behavior. He has made you to live a life of relational connection with him, a life of re-presenting his nature within the earth. Real freedom is the ability to live that life without obstruction. In that sense, freedom isn’t just a class or an event. It’s more than a powerful moment. It’s a lifelong pursuit of identity and calling. It’s never something of which you can say “Been there; done that.”

Free People Free People – This isn’t redundant. The first “free” is an adjective. The second is a verb. The point is this: We give away what’s in us. We reproduce who we are. Pursuing freedom is essential because the very thing God has called you to involves spreading the influence of his presence and nature in all the earth. There’s no way to do this without first being this. We pursue freedom in order to become who we were made to be that we might do what we were made to do. By surrendering to the process of transformation at the identity level, the natural (or should I say supernatural) outflow of this will be giving away the freedom we’ve received to others.

So, don’t just attend these classes to meet a requirement for Kairos. Come and have your entire mindset re-calibrated to a Kingdom focus. It will change everything. It’s the only thing that can.

These classes are offered at Gateway Church, Southlake Campus on Sunday mornings, 9am, upstairs in Room 2D. The DVDs are available for purchase at the Passages Bookstore on any Gateway Campus. The classes are also available to view streaming for free at GatewayPeople.com

Pastor Robert’s Jan 2011 sermon series at Gateway Church, 20/20, has created a lot of response from people who want to pursue freedom.

I thought I would take a few minutes to explain the steps in our Freedom Ministry process at Gateway for those who have recently begun or are considering getting involved.

Process Steps – Freedom Ministry is not a single event. Rather, it’s a series of opportunities to invest in your pursuit of freedom over a period of time. These steps include:

• Foundations of Freedom Classes
• Topical Freedom Classes
• Kairos
• Personal Freedom Ministry Sessions

Foundations of Freedom Classes – These five classes include A Kingdom Parable, Levels of Change, Kingdom of God, Hearing God, and Life in the Kingdom and are a prerequisite for attending Kairos. We offer these classes on Sunday mornings at our Southlake Campus at 9am upstairs in Room 2D. Registration is required. You can also watch the classes or listen to these classes online. – http://gatewaypeople.com/ministries/freedom-kairos/media1. You may also purchase these classes on DVD at Passages or at the online store on the Gateway website. We will also offer these classes starting in the next few weeks at our Frisco Campus, so watch for details if that location is convenient for you.

Topical Freedom Classes- We offer these classes on Wednesday nights at our Southlake Campus at 7:00pm. Though not required to attend Kairos, participation in these classes is really an essential part of your investment in the pursuit of freedom and a consistent opportunity to receive ministry. A class schedule and description of classes are available for download at http://freedom.gatewaypeople.com. Many of these classes are also available for purchase on CD or online for free via streaming audio as well.

Kairos – This powerful two day ministry events takes place four times each year.

• Jan 27-28 (full -registration closed)
• Mar 24-25 (online registration will open in Feb)
• Jul 28-29 (online registration will open in June)
• Oct 20-21 (Online registration will open in Sept)

Personal Freedom Ministry Sessions – Completing the Foundations of Freedom Classes, attending Topical Classes, and completing Kairos will prepare you for a great experience of personal ministry. After Kairos, you will receive a Ministry Questionnaire and an opportunity to schedule a personal session where one of our trained team members will fascilitate an individualized time of ministry.

In addition to the steps above, Gateway Groups is constantly developing new Groups with a Freedom Ministry focus. Please visit http://groups.gatewaypeople.com for more information.

Who Should Participate? – Everyone. If you are a member or attendee at Gateway Church, then investing your time in Freedom Ministry will definitely benefit you. Hope to see you soon!

It’s about responsibility. Specifically – who is responsible for who and what? If this piece is not right little else will matter. Since Adam & Eve people have been getting this one wrong. Adam blamed God and Eve for his choices. Eve blamed the devil. I blame the guy who cut me off in traffic for my anger. You blame your unhappiness on your boss, your job, your spouse, your kids, your dad, your mom…

I’m not ok and it’s not my fault. This is the filter through which most people judge things. What if it’s a totally wrong assumption?

This one wrong assumption about reality has an unbelievable ripple effect. If I’m not responsible for how I’m doing and others are responsible, then it follows that others must have control over my inner reality.

“He makes me so mad!” is a common expression of this assumption. If others have control over my inner world then this implies one person can control another. If others are controlling me then it follows that to some extent I can control them. This is why blame always leads to control. We seek to control those who we hold responsible for our pain in an effort to reduce pain and avoid responsibility.

That’s the big one. Who exactly is responsible for my internal world? If I’m unhappy then who is to blame? Others who make decisions that “make me” feel this or that are to blame. To correct this I seek to control their decisions. Or, I hold myself responsible for their decisions. Specifically I hold myself responsible to make sure justice is done and things are made right concerning their decisions. I do this with my anger, resentment, passive-aggression, or any of a number of other methods we all know.

They are responsible for my pain.

I am responsible for their decisions.

This is the problem.

When I forgive I choose to release my sense of responsibility for justice concerning their decisions. Their decisions are their own – between them and God. At the same time I choose to release them from responsibility for my pain. My pain is my own. They are not my source of peace, joy, contentment, satisfaction, love, value or anything else. If they are not my source, then they are not in control of my inner world. If they are not my source then they cannot cut off my supply. No matter what they do.

If I’m not ok, I have no one to blame. But God is my source, so I’m not left alone. I have a place I can bring my pain, receive healing, and a fresh supply of all those things that can only come from Him. But it has to be my pain I bring Him. I can’t bring him the pain I hold everyone else responsible for. I can’t have Him for a source if my blame of others proves that in fact they’re my source instead of Him.

Blame and control are killers. Taking responsibility for my own inner reality makes blame and control nonsensical. When I take responsibility for my inner world I take my place as the rightful delegated steward of that which God has given me. When I’m rightly aligned with God’s delegated stewardship I can receive from Him all that is needed to maintain peace and joy regardless of circumstances or the choices of others.

Apart from forgiveness I abdicate my responsibility and perpetuate the cycle of blame and control ongoing since Adam and Eve. I’m tired of living that way. You?