Have you ever felt trapped by something in your life? Whether it’s an addiction, a relationship, or a bad habit, most of us know what it feels like to be bound by something. According to Andy Farmer there are steps we can take to embracing freedom. He highlights a warning sign that you might be feeling trapped.
“The biggest one that I’m aware of is when we move from I want to I need. That’s a great illustration or great indication that there’s something that’s gotten a hold of my life.”
“It could be the respect of coworkers. It could be the love of my spouse. It could be the obedience of my children. Those are all things that it would be natural and understandable to want, but when they become needs, I think then you’ve got a problem with with being trapped.”
It’s worth distinguishing between wanting good things and allowing ourselves to indulge in things that are unhealthy to begin with.
“We talk about addictions; they can attach to anything. They can attach to any kind of behavior that we do, but when you begin to use things to medicate yourself away from problems, that creates an addictive tendency. I think that’s a trap where you’re now escaping from an issue by doing something that takes your mind or your emotions off of it. The way we use television these days, the way we use the internet. We don’t even realize how much time we spend of our lives giving ourselves to something simply to entertain ourselves.”
What do we miss out on when we medicate ourselves against our problems?
“We miss the adventure of life. We don’t live the life God would have us to live, which is a life of faith, it’s not a life without trial, but it’s a life where we walk in an awareness of God’s presence and help in the midst of trial.”
Andy Farmer has served as a pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA, for over twenty years. He and his wife Jill live in West Chester, PA, and have four children, including three married daughters and several grandchildren.
Key Scripture: Galatians 5:1
Featured Songs: Impossible Things – Chris Tomlin (with Danny Gokey); Deeper – Meredith Andrews; Greater – Mercy Me
Trapped
