Gò0dNews for Life
Other Peopleâs Chains
T
by Kristen West
urn your radio dial to any contemporary Christian
to a person still wrestling with their own fetters. It required
station these days and youâll hear plenty of songs
Godâs opening my eyes and helping me see that no one can
about chains and how God is a chain-breaker.
hinder my growth, my progress, or my obedience to Him
As we sing those songs, we tend to envision the
except me.
personal chains that God has broken from our own livesâaddictions, habits, and strongholds. But how often do we consider the impact of other peopleâs chains on us? Living in a broken world, we are all subject to âchainsââtoxic tendencies, wrong thinking, and generational shackles that get passed down to us. Invisible to the naked eye, the ramifications of these chains impact our thinking, decisions, and actions. But they also have a ripple effect on those around us. Many times, we get frustrated at our spouses, our
Every person we lock eyes with today has their own
parents, and our closest friends for not loving us, leading
chains. But hereâs a lifesaving piece of advice: donât let
us, or supporting us well, all the while not taking into
anyone elseâs chains keep you from being faithful.
consideration the chains they have in their lives. My first marriage was a perfect example of this as I
God has called us to be light-bearers, salt-shakers, and ambassadors on a mission for His Kingdom. Part of that
anticipated, expected, and waited on my husband to love
high calling is to walk in freedom ourselves so that we can,
and encourage me the way I thought he should. Yet the
in turn, help others find freedom from their chains as we
further into our marriage we got, the more my hopes and
introduce them to the only Chain-Breaker, Jesus.
expectations were dashed as what I longed for versus what I received were two totally different things. I was discouraged more times than I can count and
âThe Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners (those in chains)
heartbroken more days than I care to admit as my faith
and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed
seemed shackled to the way I was being treated. Yet the
freeâ (Luke 4:18).
simple truth was my husband never had his chains broken. The result was that I was growing stagnant and unfruitful in my own walk with God as I hitched my hopes
22 // June 2021
About The Author
I was waiting for him to walk in a freedom he didnât know.
Kristen West works at Rock Bridge Community Church with a heart for staff leadership, development, and care. She is a communicator with a passion to inspire, encourage, and challenge others in their daily walk with Christ. She writes and publishes weekly content on her blog at kristen-west.com.
