Defiant Joy Ministries | Fall 2010 Newsletter

The Cycle of Trapped Thoughts
[part one]

Years ago, I needed to have an MRI that required me to go into the machine head first. The idea of being stuck headlong into a cylinder did not delight me. To encourage me to relax, the technicians let me bring in some music to play during the procedure. It didn't help! No amount of music, deep breathing, closing my eyes, etc. was going to change the fact that the walls of the machine were only inches away from me. I felt trapped! The more I thought about feeling trapped, the more anxious I became. The more anxious I became, the more trapped I felt. The cycle repeated itself until I had worked myself into a state of panic.

As my mind raced with frenzied thoughts, I heard the technician's voice break into my panic and ask, "Are you doing okay in there? Need anything?"

I answered, "Well, the bacon and eggs I ordered for breakfast haven't arrived as of yet."

With a laugh, he said, "Good luck with that one."

It might seem rather odd that I responded to my anxiety by making a joke; however, it's often easier to make a joke than to ask for help. Despite my obvious need for help, I didn't ask for any. I persisted in feeling trapped. What we tell ourselves about a situation often plays a crucial role in how we experience the situation. John 8:32 gives us valuable insight about what to tell ourselves about feeling trapped: "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." The pre-requisite here is that we must know what the truth is. Knowing truth precedes being set free. In John 14:6 Jesus tells us that he is the way, the truth, and the life. The path to freedom leads us right to the foot of the cross. He is the one who sets us free from sin and death...from feeling trapped.

Feeling trapped can be quite disabling: It can keep us from doing all sorts of things. We may not be able to accomplish even the simplest of tasks such as taking out the trash let alone the more complicated tasks such as being in relationships with others. Focusing on trapped feelings can lead us to respond by default, "I'm trapped," and thus, render our knowledge of Jesus-the truth-ineffective and unproductive (2 Peter 1:8).

The challenge of changing our default feeling of being trapped to one of freedom in Christ is a process of exercising faith, trust, and obedience. We begin by placing our faith in Jesus (Mark 16:16). We place our trust in the truth that God has set us free, and we obediently follow his directives because we love Him. This process is rooted in the discipline of daily renewing our minds.

In part two of this series, we'll explore what it means to replace our "trapped thoughts" with the "untrapped truth". In the meantime, let's remember that the Holy Spirit is our constant reminder that we are protected. Psalm 121 says that God will keep us from harm. I don't read this as God keeping me from bumps and bruises but that, when they come, the God will be an ever present help in my time of need.

With defiant joy!

Susan