I don’t know if you have ever heard the story about the elephant and the rope?
Basically it describes an elephant who is born in captivity. When it was really young, its master tied a rope around its leg and pegged the rope into the ground. No matter how much the baby elephant pulled he was not strong enough to escape. After a while the baby elephant accepted its fate and stopped trying to pull away, and just stayed there, tied up and pinned down – stuck in captivity.
After a few years that same elephant had grown into a strong adult. But tying its foot with a rope that was pinned to the ground still worked at keeping it bound, even though now it was strong enough to easily pull it up and escape. The elephant’s belief that it was futile trying to escape kept it tied up even though it was now more than capable of escape.
Have you ever felt like the elephant?
I must say that presently I feel a bit like the elephant. Certain ways of thinking and patterns of behaviour that were established in my life many years ago that I found difficult to escape, still try to convince me that they have power over my life – despite the fact that I know I am now free in Jesus and I don’t have to think or behave that way any more.
I find daily I need to choose to believe that Jesus is alive in me, His power to overcome is available to me if only I would ask for it and use it.
I do not need to think or believe the lies I once did – I know the Truth, found in Jesus.
I pray that I continue to choose Jesus and move closer to Him each day – and my prayer for you is that you too will be able to break free from the rope tied around your ankle. If you are alive again in Jesus – you’re not a baby elephant any more. Live free!