A Different Perspective, The Victoria Advocate
This column is inspired by more bird facts. The regent honeyeater is a bird found mainly in Australia. (I hear about these things in Bible study—you’d think we were doing a unit on birds, but no…we’re studying I Peter.) Between wild fires and urban development, it seemed the regent honeyeaters were a critically endangered species, so a breeding program was developed to help increase their chances of survival. However, when in captivity, due to a predisposition to mimicry (imitating other bird calls), and listening to tape-recordings, the young males weren’t learning the nuances of their native birdsong. Therefore, when they were released into the wild, the females wouldn’t have anything to do with them because the young males weren’t singing their song right. This problem was remedied when live mature male birds were introduced into the breeding program. The young males learned to sing their song correctly, and their chances of being accepted as mates were increased. Humorous info all by itself.
While that nature story is funny or not, depending on how you look at it, the same holds true for us. When we’re not free, it’s hard to do what we were created to do. The Israelites of old knew this better than anyone when they were enslaved by the Babylonians. One psalmist says, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it, we hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, and our tormentors mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’ But how can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalms 137:1-4)
Lest we think slavery is a thing of the past, it’s not. Human trafficking is modern day slavery, whether it’s sexual in nature or illegal labor. It’s not a third world problem either—human trafficking takes place every day in the U.S.
As horrendous as human trafficking is, it’s not the only form of enslavement. It doesn’t matter if it’s a social acceptable addiction, such as excessive screen time, or an illegal one, like drugs. When we’re not free, we can’t be who we’re supposed to be or do the tasks God meant for us.
According to the apostle Paul, we weren’t made to be captives. In Galatians 5:1, he says, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” With these words, he was teaching us how to gain the upper hand with our thoughts. We’re supposed to hold our thoughts captive, but too often, they are like a runaway train, barreling along the tracks of negativity. When that happens, a crash is inevitable, manifested in the form of unloving responses and actions—and we wonder why.
Whenever we encounter a trial, the battle is won or lost in our minds long before anything happens in the physical. Thoughts of defeat can torment us into believing we can’t win at life. Even with positive thoughts, if they aren’t based firmly in the Lord’s will and his best for us, pride will render a false sense of security.
Mindset is important. What we think matters. Dr. Caroline Leaf says, “your thoughts are not your boss,” and “freedom and healing come when we accept that not every thought is a fact.”
Rather than focus on what our environment tells us, or what our minds think, we need to learn our native song again. As Christians, we need to hear God’s love song to us so we can sing it. First and foremost, we need to know, then remember how God views us. In his eyes, we are loved, accepted, and belong to him.
It’s the only way we’ll truly be free.
This column is inspired by more bird facts. The regent honeyeater is a bird found mainly in Australia. (I hear about these things in Bible study—you’d think we were doing a unit on birds, but no…we’re studying I Peter.) Between wildfires and urban development, it seemed the regent honeyeaters were a critically endangered species, so a breeding program was developed to help increase their chances of survival. However, when in captivity, due to a predisposition to mimicry (imitating other bird calls), and listening to tape-recordings, the young males weren’t learning the nuances of their native birdsong. Therefore, when they were released into the wild, the females wouldn’t have anything to do with them because the young males weren’t singing their song right. This problem was remedied when live mature male birds were introduced into the breeding program. The young males learned to sing their song correctly, and their chances of being accepted as mates were increased. Humorous info all by itself.
While that nature story is funny or not, depending on how you look at it, the same holds true for us. When we’re not free, it’s hard to do what we were created to do. The Israelites of old knew this better than anyone when they were enslaved by the Babylonians. One psalmist says, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it, we hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, and our tormentor’s mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’ But how can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (Psalms 137:1-4)
Lest we think slavery is a thing of the past, it’s not. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery, whether it’s sexual in nature or illegal labor. It’s not a third-world problem either—human trafficking takes place every day in the U.S.
As horrendous as human trafficking is, it’s not the only form of enslavement. It doesn’t matter if it’s a socially acceptable addiction, such as excessive screen time, or an illegal one, like drugs. When we’re not free, we can’t be who we’re supposed to be or do the tasks God meant for us.
According to the apostle Paul, we weren’t made to be captives. In Galatians 5:1, he says, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” With these words, he was teaching us how to gain the upper hand with our thoughts. We’re supposed to hold our thoughts captive, but too often, they are like a runaway train, barreling along the tracks of negativity. When that happens, a crash is inevitable, manifested in the form of unloving responses and actions—and we wonder why.
Whenever we encounter a trial, the battle is won or lost in our minds long before anything happens in the physical. Thoughts of defeat can torment us into believing we can’t win at life. Even with positive thoughts, if they aren’t based firmly in the Lord’s will and his best for us, pride will render a false sense of security.
Mindset is important. What we think matters. Dr. Caroline Leaf says, “your thoughts are not your boss,” and “freedom and healing come when we accept that not every thought is a fact.”
Rather than focus on what our environment tells us, or what our minds think, we need to learn our native song again. As Christians, we need to hear God’s love song to us so we can sing it. First and foremost, we need to know, then remember how God views us. In his eyes, we are loved, accepted, and belong to him.
It’s the only way we’ll truly be free.