WHO CONTROLS YOUR SECURITY?

A young Dutch woman we will call Anna, once sat in my office and told a story of great courage and great heartbreak. Her work called for great courage. She was a secret Christian missionary to Moslem women in one of the Arab republics. Such a role is dangerous beyond our comprehension. For her protection I will not say where she was working.

Her heartbreak involved her family. Her parents and an older brother lived through the Nazi occupation of Holland in the Second World War and were left mentally and emotionally traumatized. All suffered severe depression with the brother requiring periodic institutional care. Anna was born after the war and was spared the trauma the others endured. Because of her normalcy and the family's melancholia, a gap existed between them. Through discipline and self-effort, Anna had become a well educated, committed believer who devoted her life to Christian missions.

"Pastor," She began, "My problem is this: When I leave the U.S. and return to my work in the Middle East, my parents expect me to stop in Europe to see them." She began to cry, "And I want to see them! I need to see them! But the depression in their home is so overwhelming that I can't fight it. I get depressed too. It takes me weeks --- sometimes months --- to recover. After I get back to my post I can't function. All I can think about is the misery my parents are in." She stopped long enough to regain her composure. "Being with them is the most difficult thing I have to do --- but if I don't stop in Holland they think I'm rejecting them and get more depressed." She began sobbing, "I don't know what to do! Please help me."

I hope you will listen carefully to what I shared with this young woman. The family's circumstance was complex, but God's remedy for Anna was not. I took her hand and made her look at me, "Anna," I said, "It is not God's will that your parents control your sense of security. Under no circumstances does He want your confidence dominated by people around you --- even though they are people you love. He is the only One worthy of such trust." She listened. "God wants you to cherish your family, visit them, minister to them, but He never wants them to subdue you in the way you have allowed."

Anna's situation is common, especially during holiday seasons. Husbands and wives frequently find themselves unable to help their partner because both are spiritually dependent on the other for support. When one crashes, the other crashes. If one is up, both are up. If one quarrels, both quarrel. Teenagers are particularly vulnerable to this tragedy in their dating experience. Their sense of happiness depends totally on how the other reacts. Apart from their date's reassurance, they are usually powerless to maintain a consistent level of security. Lives trapped in this emotional roller-coaster are on a wild, erratic ride. Such people absolutely must recognize the danger they are in and stop it. Hear me: It can be stopped.

In Anna's case, I illustrated God's remedy for her by pointing to a spot near the ceiling. "Today," I said, "You are going to tell the Lord that you nail your security in Him, so high on the wall, that no matter how hard your parents try, they cannot knock it down." She listened intently. "You are not merely hanging it beyond their reach," I said, "you are nailing to the wall so securely that it can never be moved." Again, I made her look at me, "Your security must be anchored into Christ so tightly that it cannot be changed."

I gave Anna several minutes to prepare herself for the "act of commitment", then led her in prayer in which she dedicated her security to God alone. It was that simple. Quietly, she prayed, making that decision a life-long promise. A few minutes later she left the office.

A month passed before I heard from her. The letter was exciting. After spending two weeks in Holland, she was back on her mission field. The letter had taken another two weeks to arrive. She said, "Pastor, I want you to know that I had the most wonderful visit with my family that I have ever had. The first day I arrived the depression was so bad that I did not think I could stand it. But I remembered what I had promised the Lord and determined that I would not give in. On the second day something wonderful happened: I saw my family coming up to where I was. That encouraged me!  Would you believe, on the third day I heard my mother laugh for the first time in years. It was thrilling to see her smile again... I am so grateful to God! We had the most wonderful visit we have ever had...Thank you , Love Anna.”

By standing secure in the Lord, Anna had been able to minister security to her family. Thankfully, she saw immediate results. What she did is true of all forms of ministry: Good or bad, right or wrong, depression or exhilaration, we minister whatever is in us! Insecure people will automatically minister insecurity to those around them. Secure people will minister security. Believers empowered with the Holy Spirit impart that blessing. Whatever "anointing" is on the head will run down upon the rest of the body. If anger, jealousy, rebellion, suspicion, etc., is on the leader (be it home or church) it will infect those around it. The only safeguard is to make a deliberate effort to stop it. Anna's decision not only ended the power of her family's negative depression in herself but benefited them as well.

In my travels, I meet many Christians (some are pastors and church leaders) who need deliverance from destructive behavioral patterns. Oftentimes, these mannerisms of pride, anger, egotism, insecurity, arrogance, etc, can be traced back to childhood trauma. In many instances, the injury did not result from deliberate abuse by  parents but by their carelessness and neglect. In such cases, the devil never misses an opportunity to expand and intensify the problem. The best example I can give of God's recovery program from such problems is found in the Old Testament. Judges 6:28.

It is twofold.

One:   The pagan altar must be demolished, torn down, its' remains scattered.

Two:  The Altar of God must be rebuilt securely on the site of the old.

By "pagan", I mean anything that usurps our confidence in the Lord and places it back in the hands of men. The rebuilding of the Altar of God is accomplished by re-filling our lives with the power of the Holy Spirit; that involves worship, fellowship with other believers, study of the Word, etc.

My question to you is this: Is your sense of security nailed to God's wall? Is it beyond the reach of those who would pull you down? Is your life controlled by the Holy Spirit or by annoying controversies? If you are experiencing insecurity, get your hammer and go to work! Rescue your security from the wrong hands and nail it onto God's wall. That is where it belongs. Anna's testimony can become your own.