ARE YOU A SLAVE OR ARE YOU FREE?

As law enforcement officers we encounter slaves all of the time. I know that sentence might sound strange to you but we do. In fact you might be a slave right now and not even realize it. According to Dictionary.com one of the definitions of a slave is a person entirely under the domination of some influence or person.

Throughout the course of my career I've encountered many individuals enslaved to illegal drugs, prescription drugs, and alcohol but the list doesn't stop there. Most of you would probably say that those aren't an issue for you but what about being enslaved to work, money, fear, anxiety, the news, TV, anger, pornography, sex, video games, social media, cell phones, etc. Most people hate the things that their enslaved to but regardless of how much they hate it they don't believe they can ever walk in freedom over it.

A couple of months ago I placed an individual under an emergency custody order who was enslaved to meth. This man was literally curled up in the corner of a bay at the ER crying, terrified that I was going to kill him or allow someone else to kill him. In one of his lucid moments I asked him if he enjoyed being high on meth. The man shook his head and said, "No, I hate it!". Even though this man hated his master he still felt compelled to yield to the god of meth.

You might label him as an addict but he's a slave being dominated by the god of meth. What dominates you? Webster's definition of dominate means to rule or control; to exert the supreme determining or guiding influence on. Who or what are you allowing to dominate you? Who or what are you yielding yourself too? What consumes your mind? What dominates your thinking and is the guiding influence to the decisions you make in life?

Lets take the topic of money since we can all relate to that. If you see lack in finances in your life is your response the same as the worlds which is to serve the god of work and money, putting more hours in, looking to yourself to be your source rather than God? According to Proverbs 23:4 it says, "Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease!". The writer of this proverb says that overworking to become rich is leaning unto our own understanding! Jesus says in Luke 6:38, "Give and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." Paul says in 2 Cor. 9:6 talking about money, "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." According to Jesus and Paul we need to increase our sowing (giving) in order to increase our reaping (receiving). I've heard it said, "If God knows he can get it through you, He'll get it to you." Proverbs 11:25 says, "The generous soul will be made rich. And he who waters will also be watered himself." My wife and I have determined to be generous givers, sowing into the kingdom of God, standing in faith trusting that God is faithful to perform that which has promised.

Now I obviously still work. God created us to work, in fact that's one of the first tasks he gave Adam and Eve. The ability to work is a blessing and a gift. But, I'm not enslaved to my work like I was when I worked for the Lynchburg Police Department. You see, I looked to the PD as my source rather than to God. When I saw lack my grip on "my" money became tighter and while serving the god of work, I worked more. I never once allowed the word of God to dominate/influence my decision making in that area. Now I still made sure to give my 10% to the church but I looked at it as a tax from God rather than seed being sown by faith into the soil of the Kingdom of God. Over the last four years, since receiving this revelation through the teaching of the Holy Spirit, my wife and I have given more money towards ministry than ever before. Much more than 10%. As a result we've been able to receive from God more blessings and more money than ever before. It was as if my giving opened up a door of blessing that was closed before while serving the god of money in my mind. I'm not claiming that we're walking perfectly in this area but by the grace of God we are no longer yielding our minds and bodies as slaves to work and money.

The apostle Paul says in Romans 6:16 (NKJV), "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, YOU ARE THAT ONES SLAVES WHOM YOU OBEY, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?"

According to the Apostle Paul there's only two masters in the world, sin (yielding to self/ flesh) and obedience (yielding to the Holy Spirit and God's word) leading to righteousness. Whether you would admit or not you are presenting yourself as a slave to obey one of those.

WHICH ONE ARE YOU OBEYING?

It is for freedom Christ has set us free! Gal. 5:1

Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, receive the power of the Holy Spirit, and experience freedom from the power of sin and death!