While reading through my Facebook news feed, I saw that a friend had posted a scripture verse from Romans. After posting it, she caught an error. Instead of using the word “bondage,” the word “bandage” was used. How strikingly similar these two words are in form, while strikingly different in meaning.
A bandage is used to cover, dress, or bind up a wound, while bondage is the state of being a slave to something. So in essence, bandages bind wounds, while bondage causes them.
How many times have we slapped a bandage on a sin that keeps us in bondage? We’ve tried binding it up, covering it up, dressing it up pretty, hoping no one will notice. Instead, it winds up looking like torn off toilet paper stuck to a shaving wound that won’t quit bleeding through.
Addiction, depression, abuse, loneliness,…..
Pain is real; bondage is real; a bandage won’t fix it.
Let’s stop wasting bandages on our bondage, and instead do this:
- Surrender it to God through prayer
“He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3
“Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him,
if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent,
then, free of fault, you will lift up your face;you will stand firm and without fear.” Job 11:13-15
- Submerge yourself in the WORD
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32
- Surround yourself with trusted, godly friends:
“As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17
I’m glad I didn’t miss my friend’s post. God can use even a wrong word at the right time to speak truth to our hearts.
What truth has God spoken to your heart today?
Great post of truth, Doris! We all seem to deal with something and this post is filled with help and hope! Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you for your comments Julie! I pray we all take these actions when trials come.
Love this post! How often we cover up or tried to hide something only to have it hold us hostage. We had a sermon last week about secrets and how keeping secrets can hold a power over you until you tell someone.
Thank you Kathryn! Interesting you talk of the sermon on secrets; my women’s group did the Sacred Secrets by Beth Moore a while back. Great study! She says not all secrets are bad, but some can be the death of us. So true!