Free of Bond and Burden

Spiritual health is dependent on being free of bonds and burdens. For instance, a word the Lord gave me some time ago was, “Will you be bonded to anything and be apart from me?”

Being bonded is therefore not a good thing; it is idolatry. Neither is being burdened a good thing, for Jesus is to be our light and easy yoke; one that we can take on in order to get rest for our souls. Even when we carry a burden to pray for someone, God’s will is that we do so in lightness of heart and mind; serene and resolute, despite the tug of emotion or pain we must carry.

Being free of both bond and burden is dependent upon two things:

1.      The desire to be free; to be liberated; to be made brand-new in regard to this thing, complete with desire’s appropriate commitment that makes the freedom actually manifest itself; and

2.      The willingness to ascend to God in prayer—and to, every day, pray—submitting; seeking the Lord in strengthening and sustaining the peace in sufficient quantity as to be freed one day at a time. Being freed is one thing; staying free is harder.

The Purity of Purpose

Nothing helps us in this life more than purpose.

With God, being wedded to him alone, we have the very fuel of solemn and good purpose. The more we keep our focus pure on the things of God, alone, the better the direction of our purpose, and the better the results we achieve for our purpose.

Being free of bond and burden—devoted to the purposes of God alone, and being free from attachment to worldly things—we are rightly positioned to exhibit and sustain this purity of purpose. In this position we may see more of God’s will. We are motivated to achieve it. And we see, with joy, the encompassing blessing of God when the Lord’s will is achieved.

With purity of purpose, because we are free of bond and burden, we see life differently.

We see life simpler. We see the powerful ebb and flow of God in the midst of life.

We see the enormity of our ‘little’ role. And we appreciate the enormity of other people’s roles. We appreciate all the more everything done in life, and we see sense where otherwise we wouldn’t.

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Being free of bond and burden is being in tune with God’s will and being disposed to his blessing. When we experience purity of purpose we are encouraged with power for life. Suddenly we can focus and the chaotic is made simpler; the meaningless, meaningful; and, endurance has purpose and can be sustained. God’s strength is ours.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.