Key Scripture:
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” — John 8:32 (NKJV)
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2b (NKJV)
I came across an image recently that caught me off guard—and convicted me more than I’d like to admit.
It was a horse. Big, strong, muscular. But it was standing still, tied by a rope to a flimsy plastic lawn chair. That horse could’ve broken free without even trying. But it didn’t. Not because it couldn’t—but because it believed it was bound.
And right then, I saw myself.
For the past month, I’ve allowed distractions to pull me away from the very disciplines that gave me life—prayer, time in the Word, pouring truth into others through every platform God gave me. One small excuse turned into a week. One neglected moment of prayer turned into silence. Then came the guilt. The disappointment. The rope.
Not one of those things—distraction, laziness, or even failure—was stronger than my calling or the presence of God in my life. But somewhere in my head, I gave them that power. I started believing that I had to feel on fire to be faithful. I told myself I needed to wait until I was inspired, until life calmed down, until I “got it together.”
But that was the rope talking. That was the plastic chair.
Jesus didn’t die and rise again to set us halfway free. The bondage we face now isn’t always external. Sometimes, it’s just a lie we’ve believed for too long.
And that’s where the real battle is won: not just by cutting the rope—but by renewing the mind that believed it held us.
Romans 12:2 doesn’t say we’re transformed by doing better. It says we’re transformed by the renewing of our mind. That’s where it starts. That’s where the chair loses its grip.
So here I am—coming back to the things I’ve neglected. Not because I feel worthy, but because I now see the truth. The enemy will try to convince us we’re too far gone. That God’s disappointed. That we’re disqualified.
But listen to me: that chair has no power.
The truth is that God is waiting—not with condemnation, but with open arms.
The truth is that freedom isn’t earned, it’s claimed.
The truth is that your calling doesn’t evaporate when you get distracted.
It waits—right where you left it.
Reflection Questions:
- What lies have I believed about myself that are keeping me tied down?
- Where have I allowed distractions to become spiritual chains?
- What truth do I need to replace those lies with today?
Closing Prayer:
Father, I confess that I’ve allowed myself to become entangled in lies and distractions. I’ve believed the rope was real, even when You’ve already given me freedom. Help me today to renew my mind—to replace the lies with truth. I want to walk in the freedom Jesus died to give me. Pull me back into the disciplines I’ve neglected, and meet me in that place. I’m coming home. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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