“Overcoming ______________ (fill in the blank): Breaking the Wizard’s Wand”
Years ago, a Bible study group that I led was discussing how we tend to let other people define us. This is especially the case when we are little. In particular, parents, siblings, school classmates, teachers, and coaches have a huge influence on us.
One of the members of the study group used the analogy of a wizard. Wizards have wands, with which they can wield a lot of power for good or for ill. When we are little, we don’t have much (if any) choice about who has power over us.
However, as we mature, we ourselves actually are the ones who give people their wands, although we may not realize that we’ve given them power over us.
Then, this member of the group went on to say something I’ll never forget: “When we are adults, we have the right to demand that a wand be returned to us, if the wizard hasn’t used the wand for our good.”
So, here is what I sometimes do: I visualize a certain person to whom I have given a wand. If I do not like the way in which they are practicing their wizardry, I visualize myself saying to them, “I need the wand that I gave you back.”
Then, I visualize myself breaking the wand over my knee.
A friend of mine (who is so insightful that he should be doing his own blog) said to me this morning, “Resentment gives other people a lot of control over us.” Indeed it does! Perhaps it would be helpful if I broke a wand named “resentment” over my knee. Resentment is a wand that places me under an evil spell in a hurry.
Above all, as I have said in an earlier blog, I tend to resent myself. I make a lousy wizard for anyone else. But I’m not good at being a wizard to myself, either. Paul said that he didn’t want the Corinthians judging others, and that he himself did not judge even himself (1 Corinthians 4:3). Perhaps if I stopped judging myself, I would stop having so many resentments against myself.
However, no matter what you want to overcome, whether it is resentment or something else, it may be time that you broke some wizards’ wands. That is why this post is entitled “Overcoming ____________.” You fill in the blank. Whatever evil spell you are under, you have the right to break the wizard’s wand. Indeed, you have not only the right; indeed, you have the responsibility to do so.
And then there is God. God is not a wizard. God does not wield a wand. Rather, God is a loving heavenly Father, who wants all of us to be free. I believe that God will help you to identify the evil, controlling wizards in your life. If you aren’t strong enough to break their wands, rest assured that God is able to do so.
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