Toothless Dragon...
A whatsapp group was opened
for my old secondary school mates. I’m not too wild about seeing hundreds of
messages coming into my phone as I hate seeing unread messages. It doesn’t mean
I’m not excited about getting to see how life has treated us in a more intimate
way outside what Facebook projects, because on Facebook we scroll past, but in
this group we actually get to talk, or well they talk and I read through
silently.
The group has brought so much
nostalgia, it makes me miss secondary school and the ladies we were or still
are as in the case of some. I laugh a lot at the conversations and just sit
amazed that we have nursing mothers and mothers of two and three amongst us.
Just yesterday with were eating kwado(You’ll
only get this if you were in boarding school in Nigeria) and ironing our
Saturday bread to get the perfect toasted bread and today there are doctors and
lecturers and Dj’s and caterers etc.
It took me back to a time I
was punished in school. My set had the black sheep label stamped on us, I don’t
know why, but we were always punished and never really liked, so even when I
tried my best to stay out of trouble, I was always punished with the whole set.
I would labor to keep quiet and out of the noisemaker list, but the class would
get so noisy the whole class would be punished. Talk about paying the price for
another’s sin. How can’t I understand
what Christ did? :)
One day I skipped the last
lesson for the day, I think it was an economics class. The library was my happy
place, my hide out from unwanted lessons. Unfortunately for me, I saw some of
my mates from the science and art class there as well and I sat with them. I
zoned out from their conversation and was enjoying the Guinness book of records
just added to the library collection, that’s when one of the young male teachers
walked in, and there was a bout of giggles on the table about something someone
said, I wasn’t even paying attention to them, I was lost in my book. That kind of threw the young man off, he
felt like he was the object of mockery from us, why else would they have been giggling just as he walked in, and I mean I cant blame him for
feeling that way in the midst of a bunch of young ladies… we were subtly intimidating,
budding pretty young ladies and it couldn’t have been easy being a young man working
and walking in our midst daily. But that doesn’t excuse him from what he did.
This teacher with his
insecure self suddenly came to our table and next thing I know, every one of us
was flogged, we were about six or seven girls. I was confused when he went all crazy
on us even as I brought out my palm to receive the lashes, then he asked us to
go kneel down in the gravel layered courtyard, now this was the center point
where the junior students and practically the whole school came through. We
knelt under the sun with our knees digging into gravel when the closing bell went off and students headed out for lunch.
I was embarrassed, seeing the juniors see me serve punishment. I hated the
feeling and I got pissed by the minute that we were suffering for the teacher’s
insecurity because we did nothing to deserve the punishment or well, I know I
did nothing. That thought got me angry and prompted me to get up and walk away. I walked towards
my hostel, no looking back.
I told myself I wouldn’t
suffer for nothing, and I already had a lie played out if I was hunted out, I
would claim to be ill or something, but all I knew was I wasn’t suffering
unnecessarily.
The teacher didn’t even
notice I was gone when he eventually set the rest free. And just like that
there was no consequence for me.
The devil sends shadows to
stop us from going forward, shadows to keep us trapped in his bondage, as his
slaves… thus we remain bound.
God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set
us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the
pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.
Colossians 1:13-14(The MSG)
Christ already paid the price;
we have been set free from the curse of the law, from the wages of sin. Any
bondage we’re in is illegal as children of God. We need to step forward with
boldness, to refuse to be held bound, knowing there can be no consequence for
us when we walk away from his trap. There is absolutely no consequence when you
walk away and shut down his accusations shouting at you. He’s a toothless
dragon.
Egypt is all show, no substance. My name
for her is Toothless Dragon…. Isaiah 30:7
What does Egypt represent
theologically? All that is opposed to
God, a place of oppression. Known to be wise, but in all their wisdom, they
couldn’t outdo God’s wisdom and power through Moses. And for this post, I’ll
say, the oppression and persecution of the enemy.
God called this place of
bondage a toothless dragon for a believer… meaning if you’re held bound in
Egypt, it has no power to keep you, it’s scary, as scary as a dragon looks, but
it can’t do anything… all shadows. A toothless dragon, thus it can’t bite, it
can only try to intimidate and oppress you, play games with your mind and
manipulate you with your own fear.
There’s a higher power
speaking for you, thus you only stay under a curse if you choose to. (Christ has redeemed us from the curse...
Galatians 3) Walk away by embracing the power in Christ, the sacrifice He made
for you that gives you authority and calls you and qualifies you for the
blessings. There’s no other power strong enough to hold you down.
Walk away from that
relationship (business, romantic, friendship etc) that is causing you pain and
shame… walk away from the hurt and the cheating and lies…. It’ll feel like you/your
social life/your business may die without the person/contact/expertise, you’ll
be shocked at how well you survive, just too well, you more than survive, and
you actually live a better life. Walk away from habits that seem addictive, that
makes you feel incomplete without indulging daily. It’s all shadows, all the
threats of the consequences of walking away from actions and events that bring
shame to you.
Don’t let fear stop you.
Remember, toothless dragon!
Loved reading this. We cannot possess a prisoner's mentality when we've been set free by Christ.
ReplyDeleteA read so apt for the moment. I am no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God is the song that comes to mind as a read this. You know we are the ones who keep ourselves bound to the undesirable. God bless you Joy for this.
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Joy….as usual. The power bestowed upon Christians is amazing, I just hope I don’t get to heaven and find out that I was using a modicum of this power.
ReplyDelete