I recently ordered a new bathing suit, a bottom and a tankini top. As I was trying it on the other day, I felt entangled by the top. Even though I ordered my normal size, the Lycra was so tight and the inside well I’ll just say it was complicated. The whole experience of trying it on felt frustrating and like work to get everything situated. Then the thought of taking it off felt overwhelming. I considered asking my husband for help getting the top off.

I went from feeling totally fine to feeling agitated in a matter of seconds.

Thankfully, I have been practicing mind-management and I was able to bring myself back to “center” quickly, within a few minutes as I changed my thinking. In the past an experience like this might have sent me spiraling for several hours.

The Holy Spirit brought to my mind the scripture about, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” And I began pondering how we become easily entangled and how we prevent being entangled.

“As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us.

² We look away from the natural realm and we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!

³ So consider carefully how Jesus faced such intense opposition from sinners who opposed their own souls, so that you won’t become worn down and cave in under life’s pressures. 

… But God corrects us throughout our lives for our own good, giving us an invitation to share his holiness. ¹¹ Now all discipline seems to be painful at the time, yet later it will produce a transformation of character, bringing a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who yield to it.

¹² So be made strong even in your weakness by lifting up your tired hands in prayer and worship. And strengthen your weak knees, ¹³ for as you keep walking forward on God’s paths all your stumbling ways will be divinely healed!”

Hebrews 12:1-3,10-13 TPT

Entangle.

Cause to become twisted together with or caught in.

Involve (someone) in difficulties or complicated circumstances from which it is difficult to escape.

As I was reading the definition on entangle, I was thinking how it would be better to not become entangled in the first place. A couple weeks ago I took our cat to the Vet for her yearly check-up. The Vet said that our cat was a good weight but that it would be best if she did not gain anymore weight. He said it is difficult for a cat to lose weight after they have gained it. He said it is easier to maintain a cat’s weight by being intentional about how much you feed her.

I think the same might be true for us. We need to be intentional about how we live so to keep ourselves from becoming entangled in sin.

I feed my cat each morning before going to work. In the evenings if I go in the laundry room where her bowl is, she will follow me and begin meowing, asking for food. I, being her loving caretaker, must resist those meows and not give her more food for her own good.

We have to endure, persevere, stay focused on Truth, pay attention to the Holy Spirit inside us so that we do not give into temptations and become entangled. We must be consistently disciplined in our faith and allow God’s discipline in our lives for our own good. We must be trained and be being trained for God to produce a harvest of righteousness and peace in our life.

This is all part of it!

We seem to have been conditioned to think that our life should be comfortable, easy, without challenges. We feel entitled to receive everything we want when we want it. I think we tend to become easily entangled when the “hard” stuff comes because we have not trained and prepared for the normal everyday-ness of life.

It is through the challenges, through the everyday-ness of life, as we depend on God that we are transformed.

God is with us in all things. God works on and in us as we go through life.

Life filled with all it’s ups and downs. And God gives us His Peace and Joy as we move forward faithfully, trusting Him.

The thing is we must be spending time with Him. We must be in relationship with God to know and experience Him.

A friend shared last week that God reminded her, “that there are no examples in scripture of people walking a comfortable life. BUT there are lots of examples of God’s provision and care and faithfulness.” Yes!

Thankfully, if we have been conditioned by our thinking to believe that our life should be comfortable, easy, and without challenges, then we can change our thinking and retrain our brains to know we have more power than we think, the power of the Holy Spirit in us helping us in all of life. The Holy Spirit is a breath away. We need only to call on Him, ask for help, believe He will help!

God is doing the work in us as we rely on Him. God is with us and faithful to us in all that we face in life. Amen!!

Keep seeking Him! Keep discovering His better Way!

You’ve got this! And God’s got you!