The Power of a Word
I’ve been part of an online event called Rise-Up, hosted by wholeheartedwomen.org. We literally have been “rising up” early to meet together once a week for teaching, encouragement, and activation.
Sleepily, I had joined in the group and listened to the talk. The time had come to engage in the activation. A woman I had never met before looked at me in the online meeting and said simply, “Ever since I heard you speak last week, I felt like the Lord was saying He loves your free spirit.”
I know that probably doesn’t sound like much, but the words had zinged a target in my heart, and immediately I heard the Holy Spirit add, “I always have loved your free spirit. I love this about you. You aren’t rebellious.” I felt the word go really deep in me.
I also saw, in my minds eye, a large thumb that had been trying to push me down. Again, I heard, “That thumb wasn’t me. But the enemy has been trying to push you down through people and circumstances. I am breaking the power of the thumb in your life.” I began to cry, and cried on and off all that day.
About three years ago, something happened in my heart. For the first time in my life, I began to feel some level of freedom, and I felt a strong desire to explore more things in the Lord and in my life.
For so long, I really didn’t know who I was or even what I really liked, because I had been so stripped of myself growing up. During that first season of realizing this new freedom, the Lord placed some precious friends in my life who I felt very free with, free to be me, without any expectation of what that should look like.
The more freedom I began to feel and act on, the more some close to me didn’t understand, and the enemy began twisting my actions and intent to them, and I began to be called “rebellious.” So now, in my mind, being free-spirited meant I was rebellious. That word came through people I really love.
Words that I felt were inspired by the Lord for our church family, though submitted respectfully, were now put in an x file by leadership, and my voice was shut down. For reasons I still don’t know, those friends who once fully accepted me, cut me off with no explanation and no opportunity for me to ask forgiveness or work anything out. I don’t say any of this because I’m angry or holding unforgiveness.
As these last three years have gone by, when I would try to venture off into something new, it has felt like a chain around my neck ready to yank me back at any time.
I have seen some value in this journey, because I really feel the Lord has used it to teach me more about His love and loving whoever He puts in front of me, but I really was beginning to believe that being free-spirited and going after the new was either something God did not want for me, or that I might be deceived, delving into things that would lead me astray, or that it was inherently bad to be free-spirited.
This simply was not true. The enemy had been the one trying to hold me back, attempting to thwart the identity Yahweh was trying to develop in me, an identity of freedom, a value for freedom. This was not out of rebellion, but out of love of discovery of who God is and who He has created me to be.
Though I still feel the push back sometimes, still feel the effects of that thumb, now I realize it was not God clipping my wings. He wants me to fly with Him. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed!
Is it crazy how God can use such a simple word to bring revelation, identity, and freedom?
If you have ever felt that same thumb holding you back, and preventing you from going forward, let’s forgive those through whom that thumb came pressing down, and let’s agree together for Yahweh to completely break the power of that thumb over you and me. I am praying for us to walk in all the freedom God has intended for His children to walk in with Him, fulfilling our destinies in Him. Let’s fly!
Wholehearted Women 
Sometimes a word of rebuke; other times one of encouragement. Other times it’s a feeling and no words are heard at all. In all of them; I’ve come to appreciate being able to hear my Lord. 🙂 A wonderful post; thank you!
LikeLike