2 Peter 19b: - “For you are a slave to whatever controls you.”
Before continuing further about being free of problems, we should first understand the true meaning of the word “Slave” and “Control” from the above verse. I found out from the dictionary that a slave is one who has lost the power of resistance or one who surrenders himself to any power and control is exercising authoritative influence or dominion over someone or something.
Thus to re-write the above verse in simpler terms, it goes like “For you lost power to whatever you give authority to”. If we see the word “lost”, we will not like it, but realizing it or not, we might have lost and surrendered our authority to a lot of useless things in this world. One practical example is by using time since time is something we will never get back. Lots of teenagers might be lost to video games, movies, tv shows, etc because they have lost a lot of precious time since they have given all these tempting products authority over their life.
Let us spend some time to ponder on some of these useful questions, using negative influences as the control:
If the above verse is true for the negative influences, it will also be true for the positive influences. We can throw in some positive influences to answer the above questions:
John 3:30 says: “He must become greater and greater and I must become less and less”
Daily, we should not allow the negative influences to control us. Instead, we should allow God to do a lot of repair and refinement in us, so that our old creation is becoming less and less and by giving God His deserved glory, He is becoming greater and greater!
- Limi Halim (from her book - New Life)
Before continuing further about being free of problems, we should first understand the true meaning of the word “Slave” and “Control” from the above verse. I found out from the dictionary that a slave is one who has lost the power of resistance or one who surrenders himself to any power and control is exercising authoritative influence or dominion over someone or something.
Thus to re-write the above verse in simpler terms, it goes like “For you lost power to whatever you give authority to”. If we see the word “lost”, we will not like it, but realizing it or not, we might have lost and surrendered our authority to a lot of useless things in this world. One practical example is by using time since time is something we will never get back. Lots of teenagers might be lost to video games, movies, tv shows, etc because they have lost a lot of precious time since they have given all these tempting products authority over their life.
Let us spend some time to ponder on some of these useful questions, using negative influences as the control:
- What controls my life? Is it money? Is it little idols such as someone we adore?
- What controls my time? Is it games? Is it facebook?
- What controls my mind? Is it hatred? Is it fear?
If the above verse is true for the negative influences, it will also be true for the positive influences. We can throw in some positive influences to answer the above questions:
- What controls my life? Is it God? Is it the word of God?
- What controls my time? Is it good work? Is it blessing people?
- What controls my mind? Is it kind thought? Is it encouraging thought?
John 3:30 says: “He must become greater and greater and I must become less and less”
Daily, we should not allow the negative influences to control us. Instead, we should allow God to do a lot of repair and refinement in us, so that our old creation is becoming less and less and by giving God His deserved glory, He is becoming greater and greater!
- Limi Halim (from her book - New Life)
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