Unchained

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey — the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.”

– Exodus 3:7-8

The fifth chapter of Mark’s gospel begins with the story of a man who faced some serious problems. Or maybe a legion of problems best describes his plight.

This tormented soul had been exiled from the community to live out his days in a cemetery near Lake Galilee. The man was literally overcome by demons. And so total was his possession that he could use extraordinary strength to repeatedly break the chains and smash the leg irons that confined him.

“No one could control him,” Mark wrote. “Night and day he was in the graveyard or on the hills, yelling and cutting himself with stones.”

And that could have been the end of the man’s bizarre narrative. But then along came Jesus and his disciples from their voyage across the lake. Recognizing that Christ was God in the flesh, the demons that possessed the man begged to postpone their own eternal fate in favor of inhabiting a vast herd of pigs that roamed the hillside. When Jesus agreed, the demons fled from their victim, who was immediately delivered from his affliction.

Let's now fast-forward to 21st century America. When a celebrity, sports star, or Average Joe faces the consequences of alcohol, drugs, anger-management issues — or some other destructive force — we can count on their loved ones to explain that they struggled with their demons. Sometimes that’s a figure of speech. But literal demons really can torment people, and they do their best to make their victims’ lives a living hell.   

The fact is that everyone has their share of demons to one extent or another — even Christ-followers. And even though we’ve accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, asked him for forgiveness, and then received it, we still can slide back into those bad habits and behaviors that we thought we’d left far behind. And that tends to happen again and again.

Let’s consider the testimony of the apostle Paul — the unlikely Christ-follower who wrote much of the New Testament. In his 2,000-year-old lament that sounds so familiar to modern ears, Paul complains through 1 Timothy 1:15 that he continues to do the very things he despises. Yet at the same time, he fails to do the things he knows he should accomplish.

If this great Apostle to the Gentiles had so many problems with sin and temptation, what hope can we have of breaking free from our own chains? Well … quite a bit! As Christ-followers, we don’t have to accept sin’s dominance in our lives. It all comes down to our ultimate trust and dependence on a Deliverer, who long ago paid the exorbitant price of our many sins — past, present, and future.

“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” asks Paul. “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Training Camp

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

– Proverbs 3:11-12

Be sure to mark your calendars for February 8, 2026. 

That’s the date of the next Super Bowl — one of the world’s most-watched sporting events. And what will it take for the players to get there? The 2025-26 NFL schedule covers 272 regular season games plus preseason matchups and the playoffs. And in addition to overcoming weeks of hard-hitting competition, a date to The Big Game calls for intense discipline featuring countless hours of on-field practice, classroom study, and game-tape review.

Tom Brady understands how discipline and perseverance make all the difference between a champion and a runner-up. Love him or loath him, Brady, who won a combined seven Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. And throughout his long career, he followed an intense, year-round training regimen involving diet and exercise, plus an ongoing focus on football fundamentals. Brady also took nothing for granted, and he conditioned himself to expect the unexpected on the field:

“You push your body to the limits, but you have to train your body to deal with the limits,” he once explained. “If you don't play to win, don't play at all.”

The Bible also endorses the value of discipline and training. For Christ-followers, that means developing and using our God-given gifts and talents to make a positive difference in our community and the world. For example, we’re called to explain the basis of our faith to anyone who asks us. But how can we answer questions from a neighbor or co-worker if we don’t set aside time each day to read and study the Scriptures to know what we’re talking about? The discipline of scriptural literacy is also a great way to grow closer to God by developing the ability to listen for His voice. And in turn, it helps us discern right from wrong when faced by those everyday scenarios that are so rarely black or white. 

Although football wasn’t around 2,000 years ago, the sport of long-distance running was popular back when the apostle Paul used it in 1 Corinthians to illustrate the value of spiritual discipline:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

It takes a disciplined regimen, and plenty of bruises along the way, to make it to the Super Bowl (and much more to win seven rings like Tom Brady). Likewise, it takes discipline and endurance for Christ-followers to become the faith-driven champions God wants us to be: 

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship,” we read in Romans 12. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

Soul Food

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 

– Acts 2:42

What’s your idea of a great meal?

For some folks, it’s a grilled steak, baked potato, and salad that hit the spot. Others love pizza, Vietnamese, or seafood. And let’s not forget those who crave vegetarian. 

Tastes and taste buds may vary widely, but it’s hunger that unites. However, there’s another kind of appetite that has nothing to do with cheeseburgers and ice cream. It’s the spiritual hunger that’s hard-coded into our DNA. Inside, everyone has a gnawing desire to fill a gaping

internal void. Some try in vain through negative pursuits such as drug use, alcohol, compulsive spending, or gambling. Others attempt to fill it by becoming workaholics or escaping reality through social media, video games, or even travel. But after the thrill is gone, the hunger always returns ... and they’re never satisfied. 

Jesus addressed this universal dilemma by proclaiming (and proving) himself to be the “food” that everyone craves. It’s in John 6:35 that he reveals:

"I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Of course, we all need an appetite — a certain level of intensity — to continue developing as Christ-followers. God has so many things for us to see, experience, and comprehend during our brief existence on Earth. That’s how we grow and mature into Jesus’ likeness. And how boring would it be if we knew all the answers to life from Day 1?

Unfortunately, too many Christ-followers experience spiritual malnourishment and stunted growth along their faith-journey. So, what’s the remedy? It’s to make the most of the people, places, and situations that God puts before us every day. Likewise, it’s also up to every Believer to continue developing through regular Bible study, prayer, worship, small group participation, and other scriptural habits. 

After all, there’s nothing like a good workout to whet one’s appetite — and then satisfy it with food for the soul.

 

Tongue Tied

The tongue is like a spark. It is an evil power that dirties the rest of the body and sets a person's entire life on fire with flames that come from hell itself.

– James 3:6

Did the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 start — as legend has it — when Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lantern? Or did it begin when a one-legged man slipped on Mrs. O’Leary’s wet barn floor and dropped his lit pipe into some hay or wood shavings?

The answer doesn’t matter except to history buffs and insurance adjusters. But whatever the fire’s cause, its aftermath was horrific. Citizens of The Windy City were forced to deal with nearly $200 million in property damage, 300 people dead, and another 100,000 homeless. And all it took was a single spark.

Centuries earlier. James — the half-brother of Jesus — taught a similar, fiery lesson through the New Testament book he wrote to some of the earliest Christ-followers. But instead of the destruction that comes from a tiny spark, James described the devastating power of the human tongue. It’s one of the smallest parts of the body. But the tongue still has the power to both uplift and destroy as well as bless and curse.

How many times have we uttered something inappropriate (or maybe downright mean-spirited) that seemed to come out of nowhere? Saying the wrong thing at the wrong moment to the wrong person has cost people their careers, marriages, and reputations. And whether it’s through gossip, lying, sarcasm, cursing, or taking God’s name in vain, we don’t lack for the words we wish we could take back.

During World War II, the U.S. Government produced posters bearing the headline, Loose Lips Sink Ships. The message was that spies could pick up careless — although seemingly innocent — gossip about Allied troop movements, ship departures, and other secret information. And when that intelligence reached the enemy’s ears, the result was often carnage, death, and destruction. Likewise, Christ-followers today must watch their tongues to avoid causing sunk relationships and reputations. Our words should instead lift up rather than put down. The Apostle Paul put it this way through Ephesians 4:29: 

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” 

On the Job

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”

– Matthew 25:23

Career.io is an AI-powered career platform with tools for job seekers, career changers, and those looking to grow in their current roles. In 2024, it analyzed 755,758 employee-submitted job reviews to identify the careers that make Americans the happiest. And if you believe the results, a big paycheck doesn’t guarantee workplace satisfaction. It turns out that real estate agents have the happiest job in the nation. The list’s other contented job titles include carpenter, software developer, fitness instructor, firefighter, and administrative assistant.

The saying goes that you’ll never work a day in your life if you love what you do for a living. That’s when a run-of-the-mill job becomes a passion. But whether you’re thrilled with your career or you’re just putting in the hours for a paycheck, the New Testament’s book of Colossians has this admonition for us:

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men …”

In other words, it makes no difference if you’re the CEO of an international corporation or a 9-to-5 ditch-digger: we should all do our jobs for God’s glory. And Christ-followers should also consider the workplace as much a place of worship on weekdays as church is on Sundays. Likewise, we must work — and live — with the end in mind. Because once we pass into eternity, job titles and salaries will be worthless. Rich or poor, famous or obscure, we’ll all have to account for what we did in our lifetimes with the gifts and talents our Creator gave us. 

The world’s message is that focusing on money, status, and upward mobility can lead to a successful career, and that a successful career equates to a successful life. But the world has it backward. Everything we have — our money, possessions, family, and health — is due to God’s generosity. He gives it freely ... and he can take it away without notice.

God’s definition of success surely comes as a surprise to many in the workforce. The lesson here is that instead of living self-centered lives on the fast track to stock options and a corner office, our motivation should revolve around being Jesus’ hands and feet in the home, workplace, and community. It's our faithfulness to him that's the real measure of success on the job.