Do You Have An Isaac In Your Life?

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.’” (Genesis 22:2)

Most of you know the story. God calls 75 year old Abraham to a life with promises of making him into a great nation of countless descendants; then makes him and his wife Sarah wait 25 more years for the birth of their first son, Isaac.

Are you familiar with the word enmeshment? Here is one definition: In human relationships, this term means two or more people who don't have clear identities and boundaries (limits) that separate one person from the other. Thus an enmeshed person can't distinguish the difference between my needs, feelings, opinions, and priorities and yours.

Why would God call on Abraham to sacrifice his only son? This would, by far, be a parent’s greatest test.  Part of being a parent is the enormous amount of times we wait. We plant seeds and wait for growth.

But this test was about how committed Abraham was to God. Why would there be doubt in God’s mind unless Abraham did something that led God to question Abraham’s faith in God? I suggest that Abraham was more devoted to Isaac than to God. That his affection for his son had grown beyond healthy parental love and God used this test to remind Abraham that we shall have no other gods.

When my adult children tell me about situations that seem extraordinary to them, I remind them of my own unusual situations where I’ve been willing to be vulnerable before God only to find that it was all God really wanted from me. For reasons only known to God, we just need to be willing to lay the controls down.

God wants us to have an abundant life. Of course He wants parents to love their children. But He wants us to keep that love in perspective to our love for Him, our Creator.

So I ask you, do you have an 'Isaac' in your life? Do you have a relationship or a possession that you need to lay down?

I encourage you to lay down the control you’ve been trying to have over your ‘Isaacs.’  Let God do the heavy lifting. You might be interfering in His work. Perhaps you’re rooted in a codependent relationship that God’s been trying to bring to an end, what you keep obstructing.  Step aside and trust God to handle the situation.

Enmeshed relationships feel normal to us because more often than not we’ve made them into a habit. But the freedom that comes from letting go of false identities is so much healthier. We’ve essentially been in bondage of misunderstanding what true love is and until we let go, we continue as prisoners in this stronghold.

In Tim Clinton’s book, Break Through, he lists the following unhealthy roles.

1. The Fixer- do you feel better about yourself when you are fixing someone else?
2. The Performer- do you enjoy the applause? Are there strings attached to your love?
3. The Avoider- do you avoid authentic relationships; trusting nobody with your hurts?
4. Doormats- do you allow others to dictate your life; not wanting to rock the boat?
5. Adrenaline Junky- do you fill an empty heart with high level risks; all about the thrill?

It’s uncomfortable reading a list of familiar behaviors that someone else considers unhealthy.  But truthfully,I identified with being capable of 4 out of the 5; and furthermore, I can drift back into those habits if I allow my relationship with God to become secondary in my life.

If there is one thing I know to be certain, I have the potential to become anything that is unhealthy if I make someone or something my idol or my 'Isaac' at the expense of my relationship with God.

What I desire most in my life, is the truth; truth about my relationships with family, friends and mostly truth about my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus.  If my relationship with God is solid, everything else falls into place.

“Therefore he says, ‘Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” (Ephesians 5:14)

God created us to be relational beings. We hunger to be loved and to love. I’ve had ‘Isaacs’ that I thought needed to be fixed.  In these circumstances, I convinced myself that my work was helping God. 

It’s hard to watch a loved one make choices that will ultimately bring about negative consequences.

It is tempting for a ‘Fixer’ personality to take the controls. But through many of my own misguided intentions, I’ve come to realize that God needs to be the ‘Fixer.’ He never sleeps, so He can keep an eye on the situation; on any unforeseen conditions and do a much better job of changing people and behaviors.

A few years ago, I read this in my Beth Moore Bible study:  ‘self-made fortresses not only keep love from going out; they keep love from coming in.’  We risk becoming captives in our own protective fortresses; depend upon God, 1^st and always.

Equations that add up to Freedom
My environment + My experiences = My truth
My truth + Satan’s lies = Captivity
God’s truth > My truth
My truth + God’s truth = Freedom

Let’s pray. Father, help us become whole again from anything that is hindering the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life You’ve planned for us. Show us how to change unhealthy behaviors and replace our ‘Isaacs’ with healthy loving relationships that You will bless. If our family of origin came with strongholds, give us wisdom to know how to conquer these in our own lives; convict us to change these cycles and become victorious in Christ. In Your strong Name we pray. Amen.

Until next time~

Blessings, Nancy   

  

How Did He Do It?

Have you ever thought of changing ‘who you are’ in order to ‘fit’ into a certain group? 

“If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God's terms and no longer on the world's terms, the world is going to hate you.”  John 15:19 (the Message)

Jesus didn’t change who He was during His 3 year earthly ministry. If you’ve read anything about Him, you know that He never tried to fit into a certain group.

Instead, Jesus was confident in who His Father was and never questioned His identity or His purpose in life.

While on earth, He led others. He could have chosen any 12 men to be His apostles. He picked 12 ordinary men that at times fell asleep when asked to stay awake; showed insecurities; messed up when He asked them to perform; denied who He claimed He was; wanted to change Him to be someone they thought He should be; showed unbelief in Him; were confused by His plans; even one who would betray Him. ‘And they all left him and fled.’  Mark 14:50

People hated Him, wanted to kill Him; His character was always being assassinated. ‘For not even his brothers believed in him.’ John 7:5

When looking for a role model to show us how to resist temptation, Jesus is our biggest and the most important person. He’s been there and done that.
‘The devil led Him to a high place…’  (Luke 4:5-8)

He knew that the cross was coming, yet He continued to Shepherd the lost sheep. He continued to speak of grace and mercy for the people that let Him down or disappointed Him.

Is your work stressing you out? Or perhaps you are dealing with news of family origin that brings added stress to your family; or you’ve just received a bad health report; or someone you trusted has betrayed you. How did Jesus handle such situations in His life?

He did it by never allowing those in the world to hinder His relationship with His Father in Heaven. He did it by constantly searching out a quiet place to pray and ask His Father for wisdom. He did it by ultimately accepting His Father’s will in His life.

Perhaps you are at a point where you question God’s intentions for your life. You think, ‘why should I keep trying? He hasn’t answered any of my prayers yet and besides, I’ve made so many mistakes that it would take a miracle to turn my life around. It’s easier to just keep doing what I’m doing.’

Eve, who was lured by Satan to eat the forbidden fruit, (Genesis 3:6) could have been banished from existence. Perhaps she too thought, ‘God is never going to answer my prayers again, I have seriously messed up my life this time.’ But after making poor choices, God did answer her prayers. God graciously provided Eve with clothing (Genesis 3:21) and when God could have banished her, He didn’t choose to form another woman to be the mother of all living things, He chose Eve! ‘Then Adam named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all people everywhere.’ (Genesis 3:20)

Paul, an educated man, who use to persecute Christians (as Saul in Acts 9) taking them from their homes and jails to be stoned, could have continued this life as a successful Pharisee. God literally stopped him in his tracks, ‘He fell to the ground…’ (Acts 9:4) and God began to use Paul’s intelligence, strategic thinking and the passion Paul had for his persecution of Christians, by channeling Paul’s energy and passion elsewhere into representing Christ to the world powers of his day!

Bathsheba, someone that was not as modest as she should have been when bathing in view of others; committed adultery by having an affair outside of her marriage which produced an illegitimate child; and then to have the child die. We aren’t told if this child might have been her first and only child; we never read that she repented. But we can assume she did because God ended up blessing her life abundantly! She married David and sat as Queen on the throne; she birthed another child with David, named Solomon.  Solomon was the wisest man on earth and the primary author of Proverbs, a book full of warnings against sins and foolishness as well as advice on raising children. He penned Proverbs 31, ‘The Wife of Noble Character.’  How would Solomon know about warning others not to sin and be foolish with their lives?  I suggest that Solomon would have known to write about these things from his upbringing and so this gives us insight into what his mother taught him as a child. ‘These are the sayings of King Lemuel, an oracle that his mother taught him.’ (Proverbs 31:1)
(note: there is indication that Solomon used the pen name of King Lemuel)

So do you see how God can use people right where they are, even if they’ve messed up?  That changing who you are to fit into what you believe the world says you should be, is not the solution to a better life. God really doesn’t want you to alter who you are to please anyone else, except Him.

Can you ever imagine that someday you will speak of your current situation, as something good? Bathsheba and Paul used their past mistakes as training grounds for improving their life. Their past humbled them into dependence upon their God to lead them forward.

One of my sons told me that a gal from his church was asking for prayer and midway through the prayer request she paused and said, ‘Scratch that.’ She explained that if her prayer request was answered, she might not feel the need to depend so readily upon God in her life.

Think of your circumstances as a task from God. A job He has given to you; a way for you to share in His redemptive work. Is it a bit more palatable when you think in these terms?

The choice is yours. God gives each of us free will. How will you use yours?

Instead of asking God, why was I made like this or why can’t I be like so and so? Start asking, how can I learn from my past mistakes or from my current situation? God wired each of us with certain talents, how can we use these for His glory? God allows ‘stuff’ to happen to build character. It’s about fulfilling His plan in your life, not your plan. Solomon asked God for wisdom. I’d start there.

One of my favorite authors, Max Lucado, in his book, Six Hours One Friday, shares a lesson in anchoring deep in the Word-because storms will come-no doubt, they will come. The anchor allows movement of the object being tethered but the object is not allowed to drift further than the anchored rope that it’s attached to. If you and I anchor deep in God’s Word, then we are prepared for the storms that come in our life because we are protected from wandering too far in our thinking. And it’s our thinking that leads us astray.

How did He do it? He put His faith in God’s will for His life and never looked back.

Let’s Pray. Father, thank you that we don’t have to try to be someone we’re not; You made us uniquely perfect and in Your image. Father, if there is one person reading this that feels they are inadequately made; please show them how special they are by encouraging them and blessing them with wisdom to know their true identity. Thank you for using us even when we are broken. Thank you for showing us that despite all the cracks in our character and personalities that You are all powerful and can lead us into transformed lives. We love you, Lord. In Jesus’ strong name we pray. Amen.

Until next time~

Blessings, Nancy