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Monday Morning Moment – Stockholm Syndrome and Our Rescue – a Biblical Example

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Photo Credit: Bible Study Tools

Monday reflecting on yesterday’s thought-provoking sermon.

Pastor Cliff, at Movement Church, preached on our exile life this side of Heaven. He began with the origin story of what we now know to be Stockholm Syndrome. Psychologists identify this as a bonding between hostage and captor – either as a survival technique or an emotional tether in a highly tense and stressful situation.

Stockholm Syndrome: The True Story of Hostages Loyal to Their Captor – Christopher Klein

Pastor Cliff then took us through Exodus and how the children of Israel, though rescued from Egyptian slavery, began to long for the days from which they were rescued. They seemed to forget the hardship and desired what they remembered. The goodness of their God and the nearness of the Promised Land faded as they looked back and away from their Deliverer.

Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we are free from the past. However, we are tempted to return to the captivity of our sins and struggles. They are familiar to us. In tense and stressful times, we are prone to return to what put us into bondage in the first place. Sadly.

Old habits can infiltrate the freedom we have in Christ and draw us back to a captivity that no longer fits who we are now. We are deceived into thinking we have no choice…it’s just the way we are/always were. We burden ourselves with the old life – the “yoke of slavery” – rather than believe and live out the reality of Christ’s deliverance.

Does Jesus understand our frame? Absolutely. The big difference is that He was tempted in all the ways we are tempted, and yet without sin. In His time on earth, He was fully human and fully God. We can learn much from Jesus’ wilderness experience before His public ministry began.

Eric, a writer for the website Seeker of Christ, summarizes the 3 temptations of Christ (and all of us) below:

They represent the three main ways humans are tempted:

  • Lust of the flesh – Craving pleasure (turning stones into bread).
  • Pride of life – Seeking validation (jumping off the temple).
  • Lust of the eyes – Chasing power and success (bowing to Satan).

This same pattern goes all the way back to Eve in the Garden of Eden:

  • She saw the fruit was good for food (lust of the flesh).
  • She thought it would make her wise (pride of life).
  • She saw that it was pleasing to the eye (lust of the eyes).

But where Adam and Eve failed, Jesus overcame. – Eric, Seeker of Christ

When I think of those three areas of temptation, I’m reminded of my own struggle of seeking comfort in counterfeit ways which only lead to a place of shame, regret, and disappointment in myself.

Lust of the flesh – Alcoholism and disordered eating are generations-deep struggles in my family. Fortunately, I just don’t drink, so alcohol isn’t something that has become an idol in my life. However, food has been a sad refuge for me instead of seeking it in the Lord. For others, this area of temptation could be sexual (either outside of marriage or with porn). Seeking physical satisfaction in whatever form when only the Lord can truly fill that emptiness.

Pride of life – This is that old habit of “me first”. Pride in self. I was only 9 years old when the evidence of Jesus’ sacrifice for me became deeply personal. My parents divorced when I was 5, and my desire was to be good for my mom because of how hard her life was. It was a futile endeavor even for a young child. When we started attending church, I learned that only God is good and would replace my failure with His faithfulness, as I trusted Jesus as my Savior and Lord. It was the best news ever. The temptation to be performative is still with me, and there are times I chase after that self-focus and fulfillment. Thankfully, the Lord calls me back to Him where I find rest for my soul. He is better.

Lust of the eyes – When we meet a stranger or newcomer, inevitably the question comes up, “So what do you do?” Not who are you or what matters to you, but what do you do. Why do we care? Just something to hang a label of success, or power, or authority on that person? I honestly still don’t know why. Maybe we are just curious. Still, we can find ourselves striving for position and power in life. A level of significance. We lose sight of how God loves us fully. Period. Full stop. We don’t do anything to merit His love. It is who He is. Through His son, we are redeemed. We can lay down the work-weariness of climbing to the top… of whatever mountain used to hold us captive.

Photo Credit: Bible Study Tools

Because of Jesus and the freedom we have in Him, we don’t have to return to bondage. In times of struggle, we are tempted to seek out that old familiar yoke. We forget how heavy it was. Maybe we think we deserve to live that way. We couldn’t possibly be free to love without wanting anything in return, serve without expecting to be served, or to simply enjoy the presence of God or the company of others just because we belong…nothing else required. Couldn’t be? Yet we are…free.

That’s the freedom we have in Christ. That’s where He wants us to live. Without shame. In His love and protection. Remembering that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

Photo Credit: Samuel Epperly, Pixels