Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith: who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God – Hebrews 12:2.

Through Jesus’ death, we have been given life. It doesn’t matter whether or not we’re a believer or none believers; through Jesus, we have life, and He came to give us abundant life. But because we don’t understand what He has given us, we allow people and circumstances to make us feel like we’re not where we should be.

Deliverance is escape or safety from something or someone. Forgiveness is hard for each of us, it’s like a tape recorder, and it rewinds the things people have said and actions toward us. But when we look at the life of Jesus, we, too, have been given the power to release the person and actions or make ourselves prisoners. In the midst of His torment on the cross, Jesus poured forth an endless supply of forgiveness when He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know that they do.”

When words are spoken, and actions are committed, we must forgive to receive the freedom of peace in our hearts, mind, and spirit; if not, we will be held captive with resentment, bitterness, anger, rejection, and other emotional feelings.

It does not deny what was spoken or committed but releases you and the person. Jesus hadn’t done anything but heal the sick, raise the dead, and give life to spiritually dead people. When we do a self-examination, we can remember times we, too, have offended someone and wanted their forgiveness; forgiveness is just as powerful as unconditional love. One of the greatest freedom we inherited is freedom besides forgiveness.

We don’t have to be in bondage to anything or anyone; we have been freed from the power of sin that torment our minds. In the face of death and humiliation, Jesus freed us from shame, suffering, and spiritual death. As women, we often get entangled with relationships we shouldn’t be in, whether we’re Christians or non-Christians.

We were made to be loved and have companionship, but many times we don’t wait for the direction God has for our life, and we accept something that God didn’t desire for us to have, and in return, we reap the repercussion of not waiting for God.

God doesn’t want us to be in bondage even in our marriage; we should be free to speak our concerns or voice our opinions about something without fear of getting the silent treatment because we voiced our opinion. With all due respect, we should give our spouse, but we don’t allow bondage to our speech or become their clone.

Everyone needs affection; when we feel loved, it’s easy to show affection to our spouse and everyone around us. What do we do when we’re not given affection? We don’t go over the boundaries of God’s Word; let every woman have her husband, and every man has his wife.

If we’re touching someone that belongs to someone else, we’re tampering with the forbidden fruit. If we’re playing house with someone that hasn’t been given to us in matrimony, we’re allowing ourselves to be attacked spiritually because we have gone against the Word of God.

Our bodies were bought we a price, and it belongs to God (For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit which is God’s – 1st Corinthians 6:20). When we allow God to be our Father, He will place people in our life that we give us the affection we so desire and need without being morally defective.

God gives us affection when we allow ourselves to be committed to Him. Acceptance is something we desire; we have been given freedom from rejection. Freedom was established by Jesus on the cross when He cried out, “My God, why have you forsaken Me.”

He took the pain of all our rejection so we could be accepted by the Father and by others. No one but Jesus can erase the pain of rejection or satisfy the need for acceptance. When we are in the right relationship with God, rejection has no sting. You can love others and be kind despite what they do to you if you know your Father accepts you. His approval is more powerful and more important than any man’s disapproval. God has accepted and approved us; it doesn’t matter what people say or think about us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God!