Break Free from Struggle and Sorrow

Posted on Jul 25, 2018 in Daily, Devotions, Mental Affliction, The Christian, Words of Encouragement |

I would like you to consider and consciously read these Scriptures below and receive as God talking to you and personalizing these powerful Words to you today and this week.

“Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the LORD has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.” – Isaiah 52:9NKJV

“So the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” – Isaiah 51:11 NKJV

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” Romans 6:16-18 NKJV

Precious and Powerful Friends, do you sometimes feel like it’s a struggle to forgive others…and to forgive yourself? Do you have a hard time loving others, or maybe find it tough to love yourself? Perhaps you’ve been experiencing a lot of fretting and frustration lately because of disappointments, discouragement and even a little depression due to things and the struggles of life that have negatively impacted your thoughts and heart. I’d like to share some basics truths with you today that I believe could help you break free from that struggle and the sorrow.

The secret to breaking free is found in how we frame our life — what we choose as our central focus. You see, we can choose to view life through one of two basic frameworks for our life…sin consciousness or righteousness consciousness (say that 5 times fast!). Those are some meaty terms, so let’s unpack it a bit and get super practical about what this looks like.

To be primarily sin conscious means the viewpoint you have on your life is that you’re always sinning. Whatever sin happened that day, it gets center-stage in your thoughts — and your mind uses that to confine your worth and overall perspective of yourself. And let me tell you, the enemy loves it when we dwell in thoughts of sin consciousness…because when you’re focusing on the sin, you can spiral pretty quickly into feeling depressed, unworthy, and like a total failure.

>> Who has been there before? I know I have. That is — before I got revelation of what I’m about to share with you…

Yes, the Bible says we all have sinned. Romans 3:23 confirms that none of us are perfect in our own efforts: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (NLT). BUT — that’s not where the story ends! Read on, in Romans 3:24: “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins” (NLT).

The only way to NOT live with sin as your central focus is to replace it with something else…God wants us to replace it by focusing on our righteousness through Christ! He wants us to be righteousness conscious. Shifting our focus in this way colors our world with the realization that, through Christ, we are in right-standing with God. We are righteous and perfect in His sight. Not because of anything we’ve done, but completely because of what Jesus did FOR us on the cross. It almost sounds too good to be true — but it IS true!

Check out these basic truths:

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:7,9 NIV

“For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17 NKJV

Righteousness, or right-standing with God, is a free gift that Jesus bought for us. All we have to do is accept that gift! Make the choice to focus your daily life on how He sees you — He looks at you with love in His eyes. He accepts you. He approves of you. You belong. You are His beloved child. Living from that realization makes all the difference!

In order to love others and forgive others — and to love yourself and forgive yourself — it’s much, much easier when you live from a place of being righteousness conscious. Your love and forgiveness is a direct reflection of Jesus’ love and forgiveness. It’s not something you have to create or stir up on your own — just reflect Jesus! Can you picture it?

When the framework through which you view your life is centered on the righteousness (right-standing with God) that Christ bought for us on the cross, it brings a “lightness” to your life — it puts some pep in your step. It enables you to live full of joy, peace, confidence, assurance and approval. Aren’t those things each of us craves?

Living from the truth that we are righteous through Christ not only builds each of us up in our own lives but helps us walk out this life of love and faith. I encourage you today — just flip the switch and CHOOSE to live a righteousness conscious life. And remember this: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1 NKJV).

Cheering you on today, my righteous and JOYFUL Friends! As Pastor Kenneth W. Hagin said last night at KHM Campmeeting Kick-off…”BREAKTHROUGH IS POSSIBLE. It’s not when it’s going to come, it’s when are you going to reach up and take it!”

Say This and Pray This Out Loud: “Father, thank You so much for the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross and that I am made righteous in Your eyes. Lord, my heart’s desire is to put You first and follow Your ways, and I thank You that You forgive my sins. Help me to see myself the way You do — righteous through Christ. Help me to reject any thoughts that are contrary to that truth. And, from this new perspective, help me to love others and myself more fully as a reflection of Your love and forgiveness. Help me dear Father God to break free from the emotional and mental thoughts of sin, sickness, struggle and sorrow. I thank You Father that Joy of the Lord is my strength and stronghold. By faith I receive today the gift of righteousness and I stir up the joy of the Lord in my spirit today. I thank You Father that You are equipping me, enabling me and empowering me to function and flourish in my daily life with a righteousness consciousness and not a sin consciousness. Thank You Father for giving me a fresh revelation of the truths of Your Word that I am the righteousness of God in Christ; that I’m Divinely approved in Christ; and that I have right standing with You in Christ Jesus my Lord. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Believe, by faith receive, rejoice, reimagine your freedom and joy in Christ Jesus our Lord and take delivery your freedom from struggles and sorrow today! Break free my friends! Have a struggle-free, sorrow-free, sadness-free day and week blessed people of God! Now is the time for each of you to “Break Free” to the glory of God!