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