by MeredithNMills | Sep 5, 2017 | Family, grace, Identity in Christ, knowing God, Uncategorized, Victorious Living, Walking by Faith
by Meredith Mills
@DazzledByTheSon
Sometimes you’ve got to give yourself a time out.
For several months, I’ve been very intentional about writing regularly, trying to post here on a weekly basis. But last week, I chose not to write. At all.
God told me not to.
I had lots of work to do – A book proposal waiting to be revised, a book in process, a weekly blog post, a monthly contribution to Just18Summers and another article to complete by the end of the month.
Clearly, I didn’t have time to take the week off.
But God showed me that writing had become an idol.
An Idol.
It’s a rather church-y word, one that’s lost much of its meaning to modern American Christians. We read about idols throughout the Bible, but they can seem like distant relics of the past or an unfamiliar element of cultures somewhere else in the world.
Maybe we need to rethink the word.
Maybe addiction is more relevant to our modern minds.
Unlike statues of gold, addictions can be much harder to recognize, but they’re just as insidious.
Some addictions are big and ugly and obvious. But most of them aren’t. Most start as good gifts, designed by God for our enjoyment and use.
But they become addictions when we find our identity in them.
When we panic at the thought of losing them – even temporarily.
When we can’t stop thinking about them.
When we look for comfort, peace or healing in them.
When they drive and control us.
That’s what happened with my writing. I had taken it up as a hobby several years ago. It was a refreshing way to process my thoughts and emotions and a means of sharing with others what God is doing in my life.
But I’ve grown to love the feeling of completing a piece and meeting a deadline. I get excited when I hear how God ministered to someone through my words. I enjoy reading comments and feedback.
Those good things, however, took root in my heart and seeped into my identity. They began driving and controlling me like a task-master.
What started as a good gift became an addiction, an idol.
When God showed me this, I asked Him what to do about it. Not all idols can, or even should, be completely discarded. I’ve wrestled with a food addiction for much of my life, but I certainly can’t quit eating.
As I prayed, Jesus reminded me of this verse: “…Take every thought captive to obey Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Just as my thoughts need to obey Jesus, the gifts I’ve received need to be under His control as well.
My writing needs to obey Jesus – the time I spend on it, the projects I undertake, the very words I say.
My eating habits should obey Jesus – what I eat, when I eat, how much I eat.
My parenting ought to obey Jesus – how I speak to my kids, the way I train and discipline them, the activities we chose to do as a family.
My role as a wife needs to obey Jesus – how I talk to and about my husband, how I respond to him, the priority I give our relationship.
My people-pleasing personality should obey Jesus, so that His pleasure is my heart’s desire and satisfaction.
My use of time needs to obey Jesus.
Absolutely every area of my life needs to obey Jesus.
Because this is what following Him is all about – my whole self living in full surrender to the God who invites me to find rest in Him. Rest from the idols that drive me, rest from the law that condemns me, rest in Christ’s work and rest in the nearness of God.
While idols and addictions consume those who cling to them, Jesus offers the abundant life for which our souls were created. (See John 10:10.)
How about you? Are there any idols lurking in the shadows of your soul? Any addictions strangling your abundant life?
God loves us too much to let us continue worshiping at the feet of things that will destroy us. Will you bring your idols to Him and let Him show you how to bring them under His control?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments! Please respond below.
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by MeredithNMills | Aug 8, 2017 | grace, Identity in Christ, knowing God, Uncategorized, Victorious Living, Walking by Faith
By Meredith Mills
@DazzledByTheSon
Why can’t I just say “no”?
I was a slave, bound by my own desires and cravings. Food was my master and I regularly did its bidding. Hungry or not, it didn’t matter. Delicious food or mediocre, it didn’t matter. I couldn’t stop myself. I was powerless to change.
And I hated it.
Guilt, shame, even despair, clung to my soul like my kids’ backpacks on the first day of school.
Here’s the crazy thing – I knew Jesus. This isn’t a pre-salvation story. I’d been a Christian for years. I knew the right answers:
- Christ in me is greater than the evil one (1 John 4:4).
- I’m more than a conquerer through Jesus who loves me (Romans 8:37).
- Sin shouldn’t have dominion over me, since I’m living under grace now (Romans 6:14).
But that’s where it stopped – in my head. New year’s resolutions, diets, shaming myself…none of it worked.
Finally, in desperation, I literally cried out to God. I remember two different nights, sobbing on my knees before Him, admitting my helplessness and begging Him to set me free.
And He did.
Not in an instant, but over time. He taught me to think differently and began transforming me on an emotional and spiritual level. I learned to recognize His voice as He talked to my heart, saying things like “You’ve had enough food” or “That’s a healthier choice.”
He satisfied me with Himself as He broke the chains of addictive sin.
And that’s what He’s willing to do in each sin struggle we face.
“You will again have compassion on us, and will subdue all our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea” (Micah7:19 NKJV).
He takes captive those things that once held us captive. He makes them subservient to Himself.
And He flings those sins into the deepest depths of the ocean.
Kinda takes the sting out of temptation, doesn’t it?
It’s nice to know when we feel like we have to give in, our feelings are lying to us.
If we’re being real, though, we’d probably all admit victory is not an everyday reality. The above story happened years ago and honestly, I still struggle to obey Jesus in the realm of eating, though the addictive hold has been broken. It’s a battle I’ll most likely take with me to the grave. (I think of it as my ever-present reminder that I still need Jesus.)
But I know now that I don’t have to sin.
I know that “freedom to do whatever I want” isn’t true freedom at all.
And I know I want Jesus to be my Master – not self and sin. Jesus is good and kind, unlike the sin that seeks to destroy me. Jesus carries my burdens with me. He equips me for this spiritual battle and doesn’t leave me defenseless or alone.
He never meets me with condemnation, even when I fail, but rather with the mercy that triumphed at Calvary. He is instantly ready to pick me up, to redeem the mess I’ve made and help me move forward.
This life of freedom is a process. We must learn to walk with Jesus, to recognize His voice and trust that His heart for us is good. It takes practice to rely on Him for the strength (and sometimes the desire) we need to step out in faith.
There are no methods that can take the place of relating to Jesus – not even the spiritual disciplines.
Seriously.
Reading my Bible didn’t set me free.
Praying didn’t break sin’s hold on me.
Telling lots of people about Jesus didn’t inoculate me from addictive sin.
Nope. All of those things are empty when we look to them as our source and hope.
The Pharisees did all those things, but they missed Jesus and remained unchanged.
Walking in victory isn’t a matter of mustering the strength to obey or setting up strong enough “fences” to keep us on the straight and narrow. Nothing but an ever-deepening walk with Jesus can transform our hearts.
And yes, that does include the irreplaceable spiritual disciplines mentioned above. These and other disciplines are essential tools for knowing Him. But they are not the source of change – Jesus is.
What are you facing today? Does a particular sin hold you in its grip? May you find freedom in the nearness of Jesus, in acknowledging your powerlessness and in surrendering anew to the love of Jesus.
In what areas has Jesus set you free? I’d love to hear – please leave a comment below!
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by MeredithNMills | Dec 25, 2016 | Identity in Christ, Uncategorized, Walking by Faith
“Look! The virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and they will call Him Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us’” (Matt 1:23) NET.
God.with.us.
Those three words astound me.
For thousands of years, God had been worshiped from afar. His holiness stood in stark contrast to mankind’s sin. A thick veil separated His earthly presence in the temple from those who approached Him.
Until Emmanuel.
His arrival changed everything.
The Eternal One stepped into time and wrapped Himself with humanity. The Creator became one of us. The King who controls armies, who sets up and tears down nations, that King made His first appearance in an unceremonious stable.
And such would be His life – a homeless Miracle Worker, a traveling Teacher, a King rejected by His own people.
He came not impress us, but to save us. Not to condemn us, but to restore friendship with God.*
He came to do what we could not do – to keep the Law of God, and die as if He hadn’t. To taste death for us, then render it powerless so we could be set free.
He came to tear the veil that separated a holy God from His people, and to make us holy, too.
This is Emmanuel – a God so in love with His people that He would walk among us, know our pains, experience our emotions, and die in our stead.
And He beckons us, even today as we celebrate His birth, to draw near to Him as well.
As we give and receive gifts this Christmas day, may we remember the greatest Gift of all time. And may we offer ourselves back as a gift to Him.
Merry Christmas!
This changes everything
* If you’re curious about how to begin a relationship with this Jesus, please check out In Case You’re Wondering.
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by MeredithNMills | Jul 8, 2016 | Identity in Christ, Uncategorized, Victorious Living, Walking by Faith
by Meredith Mills @DazzledByTheSon
It never ceases to move me – sometimes even to tears.
Standing for our national anthem
When I hear the familiar melody and well-known words, something deep within compels me to stand and place my right hand over my heart.
My eyes scan the surroundings for the colors that symbolize my freedom, then fix reverently on our nation’s flag.
Let freedom ring – from purple mountains to grain-laden prairies, from sea to shining sea. All across this land, liberty is cherished in the hearts of the American people. We sing of it, we exercise it, some even fight and die for it.
Because deep within, the human heart longs to be free.
But there is a freedom that goes deeper than national policies and the right to representation, a liberty of the soul that no tyranny can shackle. This freedom is the birthright of every child of God.
Like the Israelites who left Egypt’s bondage on the far side of the Nile, we Christians have been ransomed and given freedom through Christ’s sacrifice.
The chains of sin are broken!
Those sins that once controlled us – all our self-serving, self-seeking, self-indulging ways – they no longer have power over us. The Holy One became sin for us, and paid the price for our liberty.
And that Law that stood as both taskmaster over and witness against us? It served its purpose in showing our need for a Savior. It led us to Jesus, who kept the Law perfectly on our behalf. Now we have become righteous through faith in Him.
What does all this theology have to do with daily life?
- It means I’m not defined by past or even present sin struggles.
- It means I can experience freedom from sinful, destructive habits.
- It means I’m free to rest in the favor of God and enjoy friendship with Him.
- It means Christianity is all about Jesus – what He did, and what He is doing right now. This walk of faith is not centered on rules or disciplines or things I do. Rather, it revolves around a vibrant relationship with Jesus. It consists of staying close to Him and working in tandem as He produces His fruit in my life.
Dear child of God, fellow Jesus lover – we are free! Our political environment, economic situation, social status…these things can shift and change in a moment. But nothing can undo what Jesus has finished for us.
Free indeed!
“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (Jn 8:36).
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free! Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1).
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (Jn 8:32).
What does “freedom in Christ” look like in your daily life? What aspect of this freedom is most precious to you?
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by MeredithNMills | Apr 8, 2016 | Identity in Christ, Uncategorized, Victorious Living
“Congratulations on turning 65!”
I stared in disbelief at the letter I had just received from a life insurance company. I looked at the envelope again. Yup, it was addressed to me. Sixty-five? That’s decades away! I laughed and tossed the letter in the trash.
A few weeks later, I got an invitation to an informational dinner hosted by an assisted living community. Then came another letter regarding my supposed upcoming 65th birthday. Each piece of correspondence was from a different source. What seemed at first like a crazy fluke began to hoist proverbial “red flags” in my mind.
Has someone stolen my identity?
Then I looked more closely at the intended recipient – it was addressed to me, but with my maiden name. Memories crashed into my mind like a flash flood. About fifteen years ago, when I was single, my identity was stolen. It took months to unravel the mess and clear my name. I wonder, could this senior citizen mistake be somehow related?
Protecting one’s identity is of great importance, and mine was in question.
In the spiritual realm, a similar crisis exists for every single believer. Our enemy, called “the accuser” in Revelation 12:10, is constantly telling us lies about our identity. He wants us to believe that we aren’t really that different from our old selves apart from Christ.
New Creation
He loves to remind us of past sins – or even of present sin struggles. His web of deception can easily entangle us if we believe his lies.
Just as I am neither 65 nor single, I am also not the same person I was without Jesus – and neither are you, fellow Jesus-lover. When the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a believer:
- He breathes life into a formerly dead spirit.
- He breaks the chains of addictive sin.
- He adopts us into His family and calls us beloved.
- He forgives every sin and cancels the record of charges against us.
- He makes us more than conquerors
- He begins a transforming work that He will be faithful to complete.
God defines our identity – not the accuser, not other people, not our feelings, not our circumstances.
Much is at stake here. For just as identity theft damages its victims, so we will miss the riches of God’s work in us if we believe Satan’s lies about our identity.
Victorious Christian living and intimacy with Christ hinge upon knowing and believing the truth. And when we know this truth, astounding freedom will be our reality (John 8:32).
Now it’s your turn! What lies have you believed about your identity? What aspects of your new identity in Christ are most exciting to you? Please join the conversation!
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