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Becoming a Vassal

"Remember the LORD your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath."
Deuteronomy 8:18

It was just 3 months ago that I had a moment of extreme conviction from the Holy Spirit. I wasn't taking care of my body the way that I should and the Lord let me know that He wanted me to fix it. With His help, I began a journey to better myself physically and though it has been hard, the Lord has been with me every step of the way.

This week, I faced another moment of extreme conviction from the Holy Spirit. I've started a new Bible study and on the very first day of homework, the author, Priscilla Shirer, pretty much asked if there was anything in my life hindering my relationship with God. I know it might sound crazy, but the answer is yes. The one thing that hinders my relationship with God the most is social media. To be more specific, Facebook!

Facebook can be a positive thing, especially living far from family. I can share pictures and videos of the kids and keep in touch with friends who don't live near me.  But more often than not, Facebook has a negative impact on my life. It results in lots of wasted time, distraction, and feelings of irritation and anger that are unholy and definitely NOT what God for me. It hinders my relationship with God in a big way and it was time for it to go. 

When I was convicted about exercising, it took me several weeks to respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. But I've learned such a great lesson by following God's Will for my life. When God calls me to do something, He will equip me to do it, even if it's hard. It shouldn't seem hard to take something like Facebook out of my life completely, but that just goes to show how much of my life I threw away on it. The time I have with my family is far too precious to waste.

Priscilla Shirer explained something called the Deliverance Principle in this study. Basically, a more powerful kingdom, called the suzerain, would adopt a smaller kingdom, called the vassal. The suzerain had authority over the vassal and would protect and provide for it. In return, the vassal was expected to be loyal. 

A true vassal for the Lord is what I want to be. I don't want to half live my life for God. I want to be completely loyal and "all in." God promises to protect and provide for me, but I need to be living according to His Will. The Holy Spirit impressed upon me that Facebook needed to go. So on that very same day, I deactivated my account. 

I don't believe that this conviction is God "taking" anything away from me. In fact, I think that God has many things to show me, things that I've been missing while sitting on the internet. I don't want a computer screen to take away real, one-on-one relationships I could have. I don't want my relationship with the Lord to be hindered by wasted time.

God promised to help me when He convicted me to jog, and He has been with me every step of the way. I feel better about myself and have drawn much closer to Him. I can't wait to see what He has planned for me. I desire so much to keep following Him in obedience.


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