Have you ever felt out of place somewhere? Just kind of stood there wondering if you were invisible or maybe all too visible to the alien eyes that seemed to see right through you? It’s one of the most uncomfortable feelings you’ll ever get and it can really do some damage if taken in the wrong context. It was brought up by a speaker at one of the extracurricular weekend sessions I attended at Church a couple of weeks back.
She spoke about how we could take the wrong interpretation of the things that happen inside and around us because of lies that enter our lives and become the lens through which we view life and make decisions even for small things. So for example you could walk into a room of different race people who suddenly stop talking and all look in your direction jaws dropped just as you come in but for a reason outside the one most obvious to you.
It could be there was something that caught their attention behind you causing a shocked vibe in the room. however, because you already expected to be out of place you may get this feeling of being “othered” when there is a perfectly logical reason for that simultaneous response. Left undealt with this seemingly small trauma can really affect your self esteem and open a can of very uncomfortable worms. Thank God for His de-worming grace.
When she pointed this out it opened a whole other dimension for me of how I had always seen the world through a tainted lens. Everything showed up in fifty shades of stubborn rejection and so everywhere I went I either expected it or behaved in such a way that caused it. (An interesting subject to read up on or watch a couple of TED talks about is Self fulfilling prophecy).
Going back to what she said about lies entering our lives I realised that at some point this lie that, there was something off about me that other people could sense and I had to work really hard to make sure I could hide the elephant in the room, found its way into my life and took root.
What I loved about this session is that it wasn’t about whose fault it was or how I was going to fight that person or occurrence to take back what had been stolen from me (neither was it about binding the devil or returning to sender). It was about bringing the poorly bandaged wound to the Trinity where it could be undressed, treated and redressed with love and tangible healing.
SOZO
That was the name of the session I attended and it was quite an amazing experience that made me question what I thought I had always known (Also an interesting subject to look into). We were taught some basic tools to help live “your most saved life”.
I call it that because it’s ironic but a lot of us saved folks are really not quite enjoying the freedom that was secured for us and it’s because we have either been misinformed or just been complacent when it comes to seeking the Kingdom. In the Zimbabwean context I actually think that the concept of Sozo/deliverance has been Africanised to something more dramatic and people tend to think it’s somehow more spiritually effective because its louder, takes more time on a Sunday and miracles are sold based on the size of the seed.
A basic definition of SOZO ministry begins with the word “Sozo” which is Greek for “save” or “deliver” and it is “a unique inner healing and deliverance ministry in which the main aim is to get to the root of those things hindering your personal connection with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”. The very first thing spoken about was Unforgiveness and how it was necessary to identify its root, give it to the Trinity and exchange the lie formed by the experience for a better and more beneficial truth for yourself.
This is as simply as I could put it but it is much deeper and more individual than that because each session is led by prompting from either Father God, our companion Jesus or our comforter and teacher The Holy Spirit. The sessions are also done under the guidance of the Church so that Sharons’ don’t decide that they are more anointed than they actually are and mislead the sheep.
I had the most brief moments of exposure to SOZO but it helped me to identify an area of unforgiveness that I hadn’t anticipated because in my own logical thinking I had identified all the culprits (who had ever hurt or offended me) and at the very least asked God to help me forgive them.
The bible is wise to say we are not to lean on our own understanding because it’s our own wrong thinking that gets us into trouble all the time. Perhaps if we stayed still every once in a while to give God His place, He would have the room to actually impact our lives.
This guided session exposed an unexpected need to forgive my real Father so that I could commune better with my Heavenly Father. I never even knew anything was wrong but our Creator knows which fractures in our lives are poorly bandaged. He knows exactly when and how to expose wounds just in time to turn it ALL around for our good. Long story short there is a family wide healing taking place as my Father has been restored to his true position of leader in the family and now I better understand my role as a daughter. I believe this added to my growing God inspired qualities as a wife..Maybe just maybe it pays to be single a little while longer.
