Becoming Anchored by the Sword Brings True Freedom
Gina Fox • Aug 28, 2020
My story has been filled with a lot of heartache, guilt, shame and fear. I can say with 100% assurance I am not the only one. When I turned 40 years old last year, I began to feel as though I was finally ready to work with God to fully break all of the chains. I have survived rape, abuse and hurt from a past that ran over 25 years deep. I needed to find true freedom! I have been a Christian since I was 16, but had never fully dealt with everything that happened before and afterwards. I was going down a path where I felt as though I could not continue to find what God called me to do unless every chain was broken and I was finally free. In February of this year, I embarked on my journey towards the freedom I knew was mine. The start of the group was amazing! I was finally really starting to feel as though it was my time, then COVID-19 happened.
During one of the craziest and most confusing times in this world’s history, I heard God speaking
so clearly to me about what my next steps were as a Christian and in creating a ministry that I know is from Him, because it was never in “my plan.” I had finally put my busyness aside to fully listen to His voice. The Sunday after I went through the lesson and exercise of breaking soul ties, He brought the name, Anchored by the Sword to my mind. I had no clue why. The verse in Hebrews 6:19 was one of the verses I clung to during the class.
“We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat which sits in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold.”
Hebrews 6:19 TPT
So, after talking to a couple of people closest to me, I created the Facebook and Instagram pages for Anchored by the Sword. It reached over 20 people in less than 10 minutes. My website came about in June. God began to open doors for me that I could have never dreamed or imagined! I have learned so much about myself and about how important it is to be anchored to God and to His Word to feel completely free and at peace. Now I want everyone to feel how amazing it feels to be free. It doesn't mean that my life is easy or that I do not struggle; it just means that I have the tools to combat the attacks when they do come.
We do not have to know or understand everything going on around us. We just have to know who to turn to and trust in.
We have to know how to love people who are different from us and remember our job is to love people and share the Gospel with them in a loving, nonjudgmental way. That is when God can truly change a heart and bring about true freedom. That is when chains can finally be broken. He has a real and true plan for you. His love for you will overcome every single thing from your past, no matter how big or how small. Allow God to turn your heart of stone into a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Open your mind so that His thoughts can become your thoughts (Romans 12:2). Give it all to Him, walk in relationship with God, and experience the freedom beyond anything you could ever imagine!
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 (CSB).
Read this article for encouragement to grow your relationship with God.
Gina Fox Guest Contributor
Gina Fox is the Founder of Anchored by the Sword, which is a ministry to help women become more anchored to God and His Word and to be truly set free! She is a wife, fur baby mama and aunt to 5 amazing nephews. She loves to be with her people, write, and watch God move!
Check out her ministry: www.anchoredbythesword.org
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God does expect us to be patient. He expects us to not act or react in a hasty manner especially in certain situations. When we react without exhibiting patience, this often has negative repercussions. God included “patience” as a fruit of the Spirit which is meant to allow us to grow and walk in the Spirit of the Lord. “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ” Galatians 5:22, NIV I’m sure we all can think about a time when we were kids and were impatient. We wanted something right away but we had to be patient. From wanting to be first in line, the first one to see something, or simply wanting our parents to leave the grocery. Of course, our parents told us to be patient. Now we all either have kids or have interacted with kids at some point. We’ve seen them become impatient and we try to calm them down. We tell them to be patient and to sit still. This is how God wants us to be as well. God doesn’t want us to rush. He wants us to slow down while learning patience. Many of us want to rush the process. The “instant gratification” has become so popular. We can get food delivered, cars delivered, and charge our phones almost anywhere nowadays. We have gotten so used to getting what we want instantly that we often forget that sometimes patience is needed on this journey. The goal isn’t always being first. It’s about being patient and obedient to the will of God. If God is calling us to wait and to have patience, then that’s what we should do. To be completely honest, I sometimes get a little hasty myself. I want to do things my way. I don’t want to wait on God and see what He says. I recently realized that God will slow you down when you aren’t listening to Him and refusing to be patient. A quick story: I was at a certain place where it takes quite a while to get checked in. This was my first time going there, so I was a little anxious. By the time I had made it to the back of this establishment, I was tired and I wanted to simply rush the process. I went to have a seat and I thought to myself, that the exchange that this person and I had was a little short and quickened. That’s not the impression I want to leave at any place. In that moment, I asked God to calm me down. I asked Him to help me change my attitude and focus on what’s important. He told me to, “be patient”. I immediately sensed a calmness come over me. I knew that God saw, felt, and heard everything I had just experienced and that I didn’t like it. A complete shift in my attitude changed the trajectory of my day. I’ve been back to that certain place and I am mindful of the people who are there. I am mindful of my interactions because we’re all in need of something and me being patient can help them get me through the process a lot faster. “ Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ” Romans 12:12, NIV God wants us all to be loving, kind, and patient individuals who lead others into positivity. There are going to be times when we don’t feel like being with others and even ourselves. That is why it’s important to become acquainted with Bible verses, so that when anxiety comes in, we can push it out with the word of God. We can always take our anxious thoughts to God in prayer. God is with us. He knows what we are feeling and what we are thinking. That alone shows us that we can be patient and trust in Him. “ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God .” Philippians 4:6, NIV
True peace can only be found in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To be fully at peace in the Christian walk starts with having a relationship with Jesus. Our relationship with Jesus gives us some crucial tools to have peace in this life. Incorporating hope in Jesus, hearing what He has to say, and also allowing Him to heal our brokenness can bring us peace. As we explore these three topics and how they relate to peace, may you rest in Jesus and allow Him to work in our lives to bring about true peace. Hope in Jesus Can Bring Us Peace First, let’s take a moment to understand the definition of Hope . It is “ a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen .” This definition gives us assurance that if we are seeking something, we should be expecting it to happen. We lean on hope that better days are coming for us. We also may lean on hope for a miracle or a great change in our lives. That hope is placed in Jesus. Giving Jesus complete control and having hope in Him to do what’s best for us also calms our racing thoughts to usher peace into minds. “ That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe ." 1 Timothy 4:10, NIV Hearing Jesus Speak to Us Can Bring Peace Secondly, peace can be found by simply hearing what Jesus is telling us. One of the ways we can hear what Jesus is saying to us is through prayer. He doesn’t use harshness when reacting to our prayers. Jesus hears us and shows us that He is truth and life. Not only do we have the opportunity to have an open conversation, but we have the honor of hearing what we need to have peace. The beauty of Jesus and walking Him, is that He doesn't leave us hanging. He gives the answers we need which will always lead us to peace of mind. “ As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built .” Luke 6:47-48, NIV True Healing Can Bring Us Peace And lastly, in order to have peace in our lives, we must work on healing. Jesus gives the tools we need to heal. We must allow Him to help us work through our concerns. Healing allows us to have clear space in our minds, in order to think of all of the good things that Jesus has done for us. To be free from the trauma of the past, overthinking, and clutter, can bring us peace. Letting go of all the negative experiences brings us great, profound peace and hope. It all begins with taking the first step of letting Jesus have control over our lives to move toward peace. True healing is found in Jesus! “ You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you .” Isaiah 26:3, NIV In conclusion, these are a few ways that we can find peace in Jesus Christ. When it seems like all hope is lost, it can be found in Him. Peace isn’t something that any of us can borrow or buy. It can only be obtained through faith and also hope through Jesus. Surrendering to Jesus’ plans for our lives will always bring us peace. The peace that truly surpasses all understanding. May you open your heart and let Him fill it with an immense amount of peace.
There is a distinct difference between happy and being joyful. Being happy usually involves something that is acquired from outside of you. Being joyful is usually associated with feeling excitement on the inside. The feeling of joy isn’t necessarily dependent on what’s going on around you, but rather what’s going on inside of you. Joy will always bring you peace because being happy is often short-lived. Being joyful, especially as a Christian living in this world, can at times be challenging. These days it’s important to not become weary but to be joyful. We shouldn’t focus our attention on the negative aspects of life. We can’t sit in the things that are going on around us. We must focus on the good things in life that bring us great joy. It’s some of the simple things that can bring us joy. Waking up to another day that the Lord has made, thanking the Lord for that cup of coffee, and spending time with our loved ones that the Lord has blessed us with can bring us joy. Joy is Found in the Lord Joy is found in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The One who shed his blood for our soul brings me great joy. Whenever I find myself feeling unhappy and in need of joy, I turn to the Word of God. I’m reminded of a timely Bible verse in the book of Psalms that often soothes my worries and anxieties. It’s an encouraging message from David to be glad, rejoice in the Lord and praise God. This is such an encouraging Bible verse because no matter what things may appear to be, we can always give glory to God in all circumstances. “ Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! ” Psalm 32:11, NIV Joy is Found in Serving Others If we ever lack the feeling of being joyful, we can take the emphasis off of ourselves to serve others. This not only brings comfort to the person you’re helping but this will also bring joy into your heart. You’re doing the work of God just by helping bring light into their life. The love and light you gave them will spread onto someone else. Being a cheerful giver pleases God and brings hope to the world. “ The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed .” Proverbs 11:25, NIV Joy is Found in Every Season Every moment in our life may not be happy moments, however, that doesn’t mean that we can’t find the simple joys in everyday living. During our times of despair, it may seem difficult to seek out joy. When we’re sad or brokenhearted, we can still find comfort in knowing that Jesus is with us always. We weren’t created to be hopeless but to be hopeful and joyful. In Romans, there is a very familiar Bible verse that echoes great encouragement to set our eyes on hope, to rejoice, and pray. This leads us to being joyful. I can’t stress enough how imperative it is to seek The One who gives us all that we need and more. If you ever lack joy in your life, seek Jesus. “ Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer ." Romans 12:12, NIV