It's Time to BREAK FREE

INTRODUCTION

Have you found that your life has been one big major struggle? Is it hard to make ends meet? Do you feel you are never good enough and can never measure up to what others expect of you?

If you are not a Christian, first off, my answer for you is, “You need God!” Living for God comes with a promise of abundant life. But I have found even Christians today are not living that abundant and joyful life that God promises them. We are always told that we must try harder when what we really need to do is learn how to rest and trust in the Lord.

Life is a struggle for many of us because we are in bondage to misconceptions taught to us in our growing up years. We try to measure up to our parents, friends, spouses, and others expectations of us in order to be loved and feel good about ourselves. We then allow these “misconceptions” to follow us into our church life, thinking that we need to earn God’s love. Our past relationships were always based on conditions so we think the same way when it comes to receiving God’s love. But we need to stop working so hard and thinking it will help us reach that place in God where we need to be. Instead, we need to learn to rest in Him and trust Him with all areas of our life. He loves us no matter what and tells us to come to Him, all who labor and are heavy laden, and He will give us rest. (Matthew 11:28)

It’s Time to Break Free springs from personal experience and a concern for others living a life that is lacking full abundance, because of bondage.  “Standards” of living are placed on people and deeply ingrained in their minds that they don’t even realize it, let alone know how to break free of them.

The purpose of this book is to help others break free of the unrealistic standards placed upon them. I will share some hurtful experiences and false messages taught that has trapped many people. There may be areas of hurts exposed and identified but that is the first step towards healing. We must find our wounds, identify them and begin to face them.

I think the biggest problem many face today is they are going through an identity crisis. We don’t know who we truly are! We try to be what others think we should be! We need to come to the place of really knowing who we are and realize that our identity and self-worth can only be found in Christ. This is why having a relationship with Him is so important. Getting to know Him helps us to know ourselves. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He will work in our lives in ways He knows will be effective and will use things that are special to us to teach us lessons.

For instance, one of my most favorite things is the butterfly. When I looked at the life of the butterfly, I began to learn and understand its life cycle. It made it easy then to “paint a picture” of my own life, while looking back on life’s experiences. And I know there are many others who will benefit from this book because they will be able to relate to many things I share.

Throughout life, many have found themselves “entangled in the web” of some sort of bondage and long to be set free. A life of bondage was never part of God’s plan and purpose for our lives. His purpose is for us to fly free. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to set us free from every kind of bondage there is.

I used to think that when I heard the word “bondage” or even thought of a person being bound by something, that it was referring to a sinner, a person who had not yet experienced salvation through Jesus Christ. But from my experiences in life, and by watching other Christian’s lives, I have realized that things can bind even Christians after they have been saved.

I write this book with confidence as one who has known bondage – bondage in the world, and bondage in the church. I want to share some parts of my life with you including some of the things I encountered in my walk with God and how He helped me break free of some things that kept me bound.

There are countless believers out there that have found themselves in a similar place as me, needing help to overcome religious misconceptions and longing to be set free from bondage. Oh, how hurt and devastated I was when my eyes were opened to the fact that how I lived and what I believed for my life was keeping me in bondage! At first, it was so hard for me to deal with it. When I finally began to face the bondage I found myself in, God led me to His Word, to the book of Galatians to help give me understanding on what exactly happened and how I ended up where I did.

Perhaps something is keeping you in bondage. If it’s an addiction, fear, abuse, your past, false teachings, or even harboring unforgiveness in your heart, all these things keep a person bound. But the Lord will always make a way of escape for you if you put it all into His hands and completely trust Him with your situation. (I Corinthians 10:13)

My prayer is that you will find written within these pages, something that you can relate to.  Just like the birthing of a butterfly, God is changing all of us. He is bringing us into alignment with His mind, the mind of Christ. Our mind, will and attitude will be transformed into the beauty of one who is meek, gentle and humble. He will thoroughly prepare us to be among the living blossoms of glory and spread nectar to the world around us. We shall emerge with the full wings of faith and be a source of vivid, yet delicate beauty, displaying His glory and love. I pray that you will be able to overcome any fears that keep you from experiencing, and knowing freedom – genuine freedom that Christ longs to give you. Allow the Lord to speak to you today. He’s saying, It’s Time to Break Free!

God Bless You!

Connie J. Schmoll