Breaking Free The Reboot

One of my favorite Bible studies of all time is “Breaking Free” by Beth Moore. I joined this Bible study small group during a time when I was beginning my healing journey from childhood sexual abuse. If you are familiar with Beth’s teaching you know that she is an amazing Bible teacher, she’s funny and most importantly relatable. She speaks from her own personal struggle with captivity and shares how God’s word transformed her life.

When I did this study years ago my hurt was so raw that I never uttered a word in my small group I didn’t feel safe yet, I wasn’t ready. The study was life-changing as I was allowing God to slowly peel the layers of the pain away, that had been my lifelong companion. Each week in my small group we would watch the VHS tape that went along with the study. To get the most of the study you had to be committed to the homework, there was reading and a workbook (my favorite type of Bible study). I completed the 10-week study that would become foundational to my healing. Years later I would facilitate a Breaking Free small group with about 5 young women I enjoyed the study even more than I had previously.

Currently, I am calling my journey the Breaking Free Reboot; while I have come such a long way I realize I still have a ways to go. My journey has been a long one, a hard one. These last several weeks have been difficult, to say the least. I am facing parts of my journey that have been the most difficult asking WHY?  I have decided that I will not allow anyone to minimize my feelings or my pain even if it means it makes them uncomfortable even if it means relationships will be altered. Secrets should never be an option. Secrets steal your soul. Secrets keep the strongholds in place to carry on to the next generation. Secrets give you a false sense of security. Secrets are the enemy of authenticity and REAL TRUE  DEEP relationships can’t survive them. Secrets keep you looking over your shoulder.

I started the Breaking Free Updated Edition by Beth Moore about a month ago; I haven’t done the homework consistently because it seemed all hell was breaking loose around me and I needed to come up for air. This Bible study is all about Strongholds and tearing them down. It is fascinating studying how when Strongholds are left unattended or not torn down they keep coming back generation after generation.

Because so much of my life was out of my control, it has always been super important to me to be in control of my emotions, to measure every move I made to the point of perfectionism fearful of being shamed or embarrassed I had to be in control. Not controlling of others but of myself. I am learning to give myself a break.

Beth Moore painted a word picture in the original Breaking Free that I have never forgotten some 20 years later I am paraphrasing because I can’t find it anywhere. Imagine your mind being a wall and the wall is covered with wallpaper of Satan’s lies we must tear down the lies “wallpaper” and replace them with God’s truth. If we just tear down the lies and don’t replace them with truth slowly those lies will creep back up with maybe even new lies. This is the word picture definition of a STRONGHOLD.  There have been times that I couldn’t pray, could not read His word; I would just say His name over and over JESUS. JESUS. JESUS.

My Environment + Plus My Experiences = My Truth

My Truth + 0 = Incomplete

My Truth + Satan’s Lies = Captivity

My Truth + God’s Truth = FREEDOM

Breaking Free, Beth Moore

Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge. Eckhart Tolle

As long As he sought the Lord; God gave him success. 2 Chronicles 26:5

I am seeking the Lord through it all. I know He is with me cheering me on!