Strangled...

It happened. I didn't want it to. I thought I was stronger than that. But, looking back, I see that I let it happen.

For several months now I have not been feeling myself. I have been irritable, anxious, intolerant, angry, smug, and overwhelmed.

I gave satan a foothold. I gave him an inroad.

I am probably like many of you. Checking my Facebook every morning...you know, the "newspaper" we read first thing to see the latest happenings with our friends and family. Only it's not that anymore. It's become a cesspool of politics, anger, greed, self indulgence, how to fake your life for the world to see...so much is not even real anymore. It's exhausting trying to wade through it all to find some sort of truth, to find something real...Oh there is the occasional scripture I come across, but even then it is a photo of a scripture that is either taken out of context or from a translation that isn't even close to the real meaning.

But, I look anyway. Everyday. Several times a day.

And do you know what happened?

I changed. Every sad post, every lie, every heartbreaking scene, every "how to eat" post, every political post, etc seared it's way into my vulnerable empathetic brain...and festered.

I let the cares of this world choke out the Word of God. I did that by methodically opening Facebook and reading, looking, contemplating everything my eyes scrolled past. I began to allow every negative thing I saw grow until it began to change my attitude in a negative way. And how could it not?

The Word had become unfruitful. *cue brokenness*

Mark 4:19 says

"and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."

I had strangled myself by choking the Word and allowing it to become unfruitful in my life. I have awakened to what is going on and enough is enough! I have to limit the vehicle that is delivering so much of the "cares of this world." I have to put a severe limit to Facebook. I will only be using it for my ministry, posting, and my homestead things. I will not be scrolling through my news feed anymore. I simply cannot. I apologize in advance for whatever I miss.

The Word MUST become fruitful again in my life. It is too important to me. He is too important to me. I cannot focus on the Kingdom if I am tangled in thorns. I will be strangled no longer! I encourage you if you have been strangled, to let go of the cares of this world and again let the Word become fruitful in your life. Be mindful of what your focus is on...

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