There were four necklaces in the tangled mound. I hadn’t a clue how they got in that condition. It was like someone had purposely shaken them together to see how big of a mess they could make. The necklaces had been that way for about a year.
Three of them were costume jewelry. But in the middle of those cheap chains was one of my favorite pieces—a necklace gifted to me by my father many Christmases ago. It was the real deal.
My parents, generous gift givers, took me to a fine jewelry store to pick out this gift. I was immediately drawn to the simple yet beautifully designed cross. The sterling silver cable with its ruby stones at the four tips of the cross reminded me of the blood Jesus shed for me.
The gold trim setting off those stones reminded me of my position of royalty as a daughter of the King. Every time I wear the cross and feel the contours of the metal, I think of the kindness of both my earthly and heavenly fathers.
I had tried many times to set my necklace free. I’d even recruited the help of my youngest son—but he, too, had been unsuccessful. The more we tugged and tried to separate the items, the more bound they became. We gave up.
One Sunday, as I was getting ready for church, I saw the necklaces again. Suddenly, an intense longing backed by determination rose in my spirit, and I thought, I am going to wear that cross this morning!
I looked at the clock—thirty minutes before I had to leave. Game on.
Using tweezers and a safety pin, I pushed and pulled on the tightly woven chains. Little pockets formed between the metal, and I thought I was making headway. Instead, I found myself in a worse predicament than before.
“Lord,” I prayed, “please help me undo this mess.”
Call me crazy for praying over tangled jewelry, but God says we can ask Him for help and wisdom any time (Hebrews 4:16; James 1:5). He cares about everything in our lives and gives us our heart’s desires as we trust Him (Psalm 37:4–5).
Seconds after I prayed, this thought arose: Cut one of the necklaces from the group.
That thought didn’t excite me much, but I found some scissors and carefully spread apart the ends of the chains to identify which would be sacrificed. Holding my breath, I snipped a small piece of what I hoped was a fake gold chain.
The necklaces noticeably loosened up, and I was able to pull out parts of the chain. I separated the chains with my sharp instruments, and after a couple more quick snips, my cross necklace broke free from its bondage.
“Thank you, Lord,” I whispered, securing the precious gift around my neck.
Just in time, too, because my husband called, “Kristi, it’s time to leave for church.”
I couldn’t wait to show him my success and share what I’d learned in the tedious process. It’s a big joke in our family that my every experience turns into an object lesson, but I can’t help myself—it’s how the Lord speaks to me. And now, I’d like to share that lesson with you.
Perhaps, like my wad of necklaces, your life feels like a bound-up, useless mess. For years, you’ve tried to be free. You’ve even recruited the help of others to no avail. Now, you’ve given up, and others have given up on you too, concluding that you’ll never be free or useful. I pray that a fresh determination will rise in you and that you’ll say, “I am going to be free!”
Your life doesn’t have to end in bondage. It’s not over! God hasn’t thrown in the towel on you, no matter what your current condition is, so don’t you give up either. You are not hopeless, helpless, or beyond repair. With God, you can overcome anything (Philippians 4:13).
Friend, try again, but this time, do it with God’s help. If you put your tangled-up life in the skilled hands of the Master and seek His face and will for your life, He will set you free. “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17 NLT).
Begin with this simple prayer: “Lord, come into my life and unravel me.”
Throughout the Psalms, we see King David, God’s chosen servant, praying for God’s help. We also see him asking God to examine his life and reveal anything hindering his freedom (Psalm 139:23–24).
I often pray this prayer. As I do, God kindly points out thought patterns, commitments, relationships, habits, and other things that keep me from experiencing His good plans (Jeremiah 29:11). He also gives me the wisdom to move forward and the strength to do what He asks of me.
He often requires me to cut things out of my life. The Bible teaches about the importance of cutting ourselves free, of stripping off and casting away anything (or anyone) that hinders our walk with God, especially that sin that continually trips us up (Hebrews 12:1).
The Bible also teaches us to set boundaries to maintain our freedom. Sometimes we have to make extreme choices in order to protect and preserve our freedom. Look at what Jesus taught His followers to do to protect themselves from the sin of adultery:
So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. (Matthew 5:29–30 NLT)
Now, Jesus isn’t advocating that we mutilate our bodies. He’s teaching us to protect ourselves from the traps of sin by setting healthy, godly boundaries regarding where we go, what we fix our eyes upon, and who we keep company with. This world is full of cheap “costume jewelry,” just waiting to tangle us up. But we can avoid those traps by living a disciplined, holy, and wise life.
Sometimes God asks you to remove good things, and these are the hardest to let go of. But remember, whatever God asks you to cut away or release is for your good. Obedience will position you to receive something even better (Matthew 19:29).
The process of becoming untangled takes time. It’s okay—God is in the mess with you. If you are willing to let Him work in your life, He will restore it to His original intent, making you an ornament of His grace before a watching world.
Kristi Overton Johnson encourages and equips people for victory through her writings, speaking engagements, and prison ministry. To learn more, go to kojministries.org.
