Colossians 2: 6-15 (16-19), No More Captivity

Colossians 2: 6-15, (16-19), No More Captivity

v. 8, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe*, and not according to Christ.”
*also translated elements of the natural world or elementary ideas belonging to the world

Where are you feeling captive in your life? Stuck? Unable to move the way your heart and soul desires? Where does your inner knowing, your felt sense of a situation or person, get dismissed because some one else has judged it as bad or wrong?

We get caught or stuck when we live according to some one else’s beliefs, opinions, or viewpoints. Instead of clarifying what’s right for us, we do what “so and so” (one’s spouse, family, social circle, school, church, the media) said. We aspire to act and live in ways that the collective promotes, rather than following the prompting of our Inner Divine Spirit. Temporarily, we relieve ourselves of the responsibility for our decisions and actions; but we lose our autonomy--the freedom of being who we are.

The source of all possibilities in our human nature is the Self/God Within. The Self holds all of the aspects of our soul, and the unconscious templates that are the “hardwiring” of our psyche. The templates, which Jung referred to as archetypes, give the framework that structure our experiences and connect them according to our affects or emotions. When our way of relating to ourselves, others, and the world around us is defined by the common philosophy of the day or the traditions into which we were born, we become suspicious and doubtful of our felt experiences. The body sensations, instinctive responses, and feelings that inform us may be dismissed. The perceptions and inner images that they offer get lost; they are replaced by the prevailing philosophy and tradition.

When we live in allegiance to the outer philosophies and traditions, we weaken the connection to the Self/God Within. Our Inner Wisdom voice gets missed or dismissed. We end up in situations (inner feelings and thought cycles or outer relationships) that are unhealthy. We do not have the energy or libido to do anything differently because we have not tended the primary relationship to our energy source, the Self.

Today’s scripture reminds us of the importance of living according to Christ or God Within. This is the way out of the captivity of life destroying belief systems, accepted norms, prevailing trends, etc. How do we know the difference? Each of us has to work out our way of relating to the Self/God Within. No one can do that for us. Someone else’s experience may serve as a guidepost for us; but, their experience is theirs. It is imperative that we remember to seek the wisdom and understanding of the Self that manifests through our body and mind.

Where are you living in accordance to the Self/God Within? Where do you feel captive to some inner or outer situation that is not life promoting? Ask the Inner Divine Spirit to show you the philosophy, traditions, and ideas that are shaping your experience. Open to see the template that is shaping you, and invite the Divine to help you know and live from your Inner Spirit, not the spirit of the world.