Am I a slave to anything?

2 Peter 2:19
"They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you."

This verse jumped out at me the other day. I was studying another topic altogether when I noticed it in a mix of verses I was reading. It didn’t fit what I was searching for, so I made a note to come back to it.

Today, I came back to it.

The words "promise" and "slaves" are what first caused me to stop and read the verse. The ending—"a slave to whatever controls you"—is what caused me to stop and think.

What is it that controls me?

Looking back over my history, there have been many things of the world that have controlled me—noosed, tied, and caught like a wrangled cow. And if one is not careful, that noose can eventually become the thing that suspends from the gallows and takes your life.

The result is death.

Maybe it sounds dramatic—death—but really it is not. I’ve seen enough addiction to know the clutch it has on some people and, unless they break free from its control, death is the result. While physical death can come from drug and alcohol addiction, there are other deaths that come from any form of addiction: the death of a relationship. The death of health. The death of dignity. The death of hope.

And always, the death of freedom.

Addiction pushes freedom out the door as soon as it takes control of a life. I’ve seen it many times. But true addiction is not the only thing that enslaves. Sin of any sort can enslave a life.

For the sake of making my point, I am going to divert to a pattern of sin. I’m not talking about a "mistake" because, as humans, we all make mistakes. We all sin and fall short of holy perfection.

The difference I’m referring to is the difference between telling a lie in a moment of panic or self-preservation (for lying is a sin) and a pattern of lying because lying has become someone's way of communicating. Or the difference between unleashing unjust anger in a moment of high emotion and a pattern of anger that classifies someone as a bully or becomes a lifestyle of controlling others.

There is sin, and there are patterns of sin.

One is a mistake, and the conscience communicates, "I did something wrong." This is the opportunity for apologies, forgiveness, and correction.

The latter is something different altogether. Yes, it is still sin that can be turned from, but when there is a pattern of sin, there is a stronghold that is not so easy to escape. I find patterns of sin are usually accompanied by justification for that sin. We can find all sorts of excuses and reasoning for why we are doing what we are doing—why we "deserve" it or why we cannot stop.

But patterns of sin are prison. They are enslavement. They control you, not the other way around.

And for the one who claims to be a Jesus-follower, there is no room for patterns of sin. Jesus does not share space with a jailer (the sin that is enslaving). You are either following Jesus (and yes, mistakes will happen) or you are following the world (jailer), where endless patterns of sin are waiting to enslave you.

The entire chapter of 2 Peter 2 is talking about false teachers who are foisting their belief system on others and luring unstable people into sin. They are proud and arrogant. They act as if they know better. They brag. They are twisted.

And they are everywhere; there is no shortage of lies and deceit in this world.

So the choice we all face becomes this:

Are we going to listen to one—or several—of the many voices in this world that lure us to become what they tell us is right? Are we going to believe their ever-changing promises?

Or are we going to believe the God who created the universe and does not change or trick or deceive?

God does not change! Jesus is the same as He has always been, and He always will be.

Think about it. The promises of this world—the fads, what "works" today, the religious rules, the culture—they all change constantly.

It is exhausting.

It is a noose.

So I ask myself again, to whom—or to what—am I a slave?

I need only consider the "they" in 2 Peter 2:19 to uncover my answer.

For me, “they” are the influencers in the health and wellness industry. I am prone to becoming enslaved to the latest information about what will make me healthier.

I’m not saying wellness—physically, mentally, or emotionally—is a wrong endeavor. I think taking care of my body and mind (the temple of the Holy Spirit) is worthwhile.

But I can easily cross the line and become enslaved to whatever "they" are peddling.

I recently deleted all forms of social media for this very reason.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying social media is bad or wrong. It is simply wrong for me right now.

The influencers, medical "experts," and peddlers of supplements, exercise programs, and all things wellness were having too much—well—influence on me.

I was buying things and trying things faster than the speed of light.

I had become a slave to wellness products and promises.

And it was not providing freedom.

I realize the verse in 2 Peter 2 is talking about false teachers among the followers of Jesus—they were teaching heresies in the church.

But let's face it—we don't need to be in church to encounter false teachers.

They are everywhere.

In today's world, "they" are the ads, the influencers, and the promisers of rich, skinny, and popular.

And "they" are liars.

They promise freedom.

Yet they are "slaves of sin and corruption."

Can any of us deny that we live in a corrupt world?

My conclusion is this:

I do not want to be a slave to anything this world has to offer.

Wellness products or practices, money, possessions, sex, drugs, fads, food, clothes, the approval of people, social position, achievements, high position...anything.

I've tried many of the things on this list (don't worry—I already talked to Jesus about it), and I have found no freedom.

That bears repeating.

I have found no freedom in the things of this world.

Freedom is found in one place and one place alone.

Jesus.

Not everyone will agree with me, and I'm fine with that.

But I ask this:

If this world is providing freedom, shouldn't we all be content and happy? Shouldn’t our anxiety levels be dropping? Shouldn’t we stop spending money we don’t have and stop trying something new every month to make ourselves feel better?

I know some of the things on my list can produce temporary happiness. But it has a short shelf life. Then I am on to the next "hit" of dopamine, seeking the fulfillment of whatever promise I am believing.

Well, I've grown disinterested in what "they" have to say.

Still, I have to guard myself from being fooled by the false teachers of this world.

They are everywhere.

But so is Jesus. He is right here with me—in my heart, in my mind, in my life—calling me and leading me to the promises of God.

That is where true and lasting freedom is found.

So today, instead of listening to "they," I will listen to Jesus.

Matthew 7:15

"Watch out for false teachers. They come to you dressed as if they were sheep. On the inside they are hungry wolves."

(Remember, they are everywhere. Yikes!)

John 10:27

Jesus: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

John 8:36

"So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free."