Copyright 2007 Theresa Harvard Johnson
Overcoming these strongholds can be extremely challenging. IT TAKES PRAYER IN ACTION! Not just prayer and then waiting for God to do it.
The engagement of Holy Spirit in your process is required for permanent breakthrough and authentic change. For many of us, as it was with me, the root of self-sabotage runs far deeper than simply having an “integrity” issue. Looking at integrity alone will not help self-sabotaging behavior HEAL when it is extreme. Issues of the heart must be overcome.
There were some things going on in my heart and in my life that I needed to take to the feet of Jesus, and get additonal help to address. In addition, I needed a “maturity check” as well, and quite frankly… change some behaviors. For me, having someone in my life who “knew me” as their sister and co-laborer in Christ made all the difference. I treasure her in my life at that time because she understood that friendship means to give truth.
2 Thessalonians 3:5-7 says: But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he[a] received from us.
Knowing those who labors among you is important. Do not forget that. I am very cautious of people who come out of the woodwork to correct, but never exhort and whose labor I have not witnessed. Not only are we to know one another by the Spirit, but also by the fruit.
7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.
Basically, I was being told how I ought to walk with the Lord in some areas. It does not say, “Go pray.” It says to warn them of the danger. This is what I hope to accomplish with this teaching. My prayer is htat you will reform your negative behaviors by making conscious changes in your life. Some things are not a matter of deliverance, but a matter of action and expulsion. I had to GET CONVICTION in my heart so that TRUE REPENTANCE could come.
9 not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.
We are required to be examples to and for one another. Those who KNOW me, know SURELY that I strive to be an example — not some carbon copy or imitation. Each one of us should seek to live this way. I use myself because I know what the condition of my heart was like. Six years ago, the Lord could not have trusted me with the measure of trust I have today. How could I tell anyone to write a book or write their articles or teach you about WRITING if I was not following my own words! I would stand before you as a liar, and eventually I would have been FOUND OUT.
Remember, whatever is done in darkness will be brought into the light. We have seen this in the body of Christ over the last few years. People have made themselves look bad and the ministry of the gospel look like a joke to those who do not know any better. As a result, a greater responsibility is placed on those who are seeking to become living epistles.
Here are some steps you can take to end self-sabotage in your life.
- Enter into a place of earnest prayer with the Lord. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any areas of your life where self-sabotage exists.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to bring any specific instances of self-sabotage to your remembrance, exposing the root. Repent for each area individually. Renounce each area individually, in the name of Jesus, and ask the Lord to come into that place and heal your soul.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to continue to fill those places with truth, and to guide you in the truth. If necessary, forgive anyone whom you have had unforgiveness toward because they confronted you with the truth, and release them in the name of Jesus.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you walk out of the old patterns by enforcing them with the new. In other words, you are going to RESIST the sabotage. If you have a pattern of procrastination, for example, Holy Spirit will prompt you to interrupt that pattern if you allow the Spirit’s leading.
The things of God must begin to become a priority in our lives verses the things of the flesh. You have to get to a point that you SEPARATE yourself from people who walk in these strongholds if you are trying to overcome them. It is not always about what they are doing, but what might rub off on you IF you allow these types of people to get comfortable in your environment.
We are children of God, not the children of paupers! We only want to break covenant with those who “do not want” what the Lord desires. Does this mean that you have to cut people off? No! But it does mean that you have to establish boundaries in your life. Negative people and positive people will oppose one another like opposite ends of a magnet. You must be careful in those instances, as you always want the positive to overtake the negative; but if it does not, then it may be time to move on.
It is time to come up higher…
