“Not all prisons have bars. Some people are held captive in the Prison of What Others Think.”
Key Verse: “It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe.” (Proverbs 29: 25 GNT)
Social media has a bright side and a very dark one. Some use it as a means of encouraging people. Others criticize, condemn, even bully. Learning to receive feedback, positive and negative, is very important. In all cases, we must consider the source. People who take to personally everything others say about them voluntarily lock themselves in prison and sit there as their cell gets darker and smaller.
Keys for breaking out of your prison:
1) Stop listening to the lies. Satan is the chief liar and accuser of men. Don’t let him tell you who you are or are not. For Christians, that role belongs to the Holy Spirit. Satan and fellow assassins exist to bring destruction and death. Jesus came to bring life—abundant and eternal. (John 10: 10)
2) Start listening to (and believing) the Truth. When the world reminds us of our failures, remember this: if you are in Christ, you are a son of God Most High—a joint heir with Jesus—worth dying for. No matter how far we fall, God never stops loving us. Jesus is the friend Who sticks closer than a brother.
3) Start reading the Word of God and own every word of His promises. Too many people do not spend time daily in the Word of God. They spend more time reading the WSJ or sports page. Start studying your Bible and own the words. Make them personal. Stand on the promises of God and bring them up to Him every time you think He needs reminding. As you leave your prison, remember this:
“It is not who others say you are, but who God says you are that matters.”