This past winter my wife and I put in a patio made of paver stones. I looked up how to lay them on YouTube. It looked easy enough; at least it did until I started the project.
First I had to prepare the ground. Instead of taking a few hours, it took a few days! I won’t go in to all the details; but suffice it to say, I felt the anger starting to come back. I thought I’d beaten my anger challenge, hadn’t I? As the frustration rose, I wanted to start yelling – an old drug of choice of mine. Yet, I caught myself. I knew where this was going so I started filtering the patio situation through the FREEdom process. I calmly told my wife, “I’m gonna lose it, so let’s just stop right now before I do or say something stupid.” I calmly put my tools and materials away, closed the garage door, and went inside the house.
After getting something cool to drink, I asked the Spirit to show me why I was getting so uptight about a stupid patio. He showed me that it was because I really didn’t know how to do it. Though I like to work with my hands I’m not a construction guy. I’m a child of God who is not defined by some patio job. Jesus loves me no matter what, so why was I letting those pavers cause me to lose it? I later called a construction friend who came over and helped us figure it out. We then were able to get the patio project done! Friends are nice, aren’t they?
I thought I had beaten the anger drug. Apparently, my enemy was checking. You see, this patio is in our front yard where my neighbors could watch how I handled things. Some know I’m a pastor. Would my life shine on Jesus or would I be just another “Christian” disappointment?
A well-known pastor once said, “You’re a product of your past but you’re not a prisoner of it. You can choose to change.” I daily practice using my biblically-based truth filter, so Jesus could give me the victory when the test came. I didn’t have to be the same person I was years before. I could experience the victory of a changed life today. Yes, some old defeated behaviors want to come back. In the power of the Spirit, I don’t have to let them.

Set “FREE” Nowww