Volume 65 December 2026-January 2026 : Mokanoki
Easier to exist in slavery than to live in freedom
Author : Russ Molosiwa
Let us talk about freedom. Again allow me to use Batswana`s independence journey from the then Bechuanaland to present day Botswana as a point of reference. In the era of Bechuanaland we played games such as boleke mamptile, morabaraba, diketo etc. We can`t play those games in the new Botswana.
In the new era of Botswana we have video games, snooker, salaka etc. Bechuanaland games don`t work here. Are you still a Bechuanaland player? If you are, you need a conversion in your soul. We cannot claim to be free when you are still playing the same games you played before you were set free. What is my point here?
The soul consists of the mind, will and emotions. Nothing changes until the soul changes. It is God`s law-His living active written truth-that converts the soul. Have you ever heard the expression “A man is what he eats”? How about the term “soul food”? Both of these phrases are pregnant with wisdom and contain the key to change and freedom. What you feed your soul determines your quality of life and degree of freedom.
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” (Psalm 19: 7)
The Book of Hebrews tells us, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4: 12, emphasis added). The soul is separate from man`s spirit, which is re-created at the new birth. The soul is called psuche in biblical Greek and refers to “the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions.”
Apostle James writes, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your soul” (James 1: 21).
Change comes through mental reconditioning after a person is born again. So it is up to every individual to save his soul after his spirit has been born again. If you don`t, you will lie by the same old stake and sit in the same old cell that your carnal mind conditioned you for before you were born again. Every one of us must renew and retrain our minds for freedom.
Have you ever made or heard of this statement, “I need a change”? In response to this, many make a geographical, physical move (sometimes internationally), change jobs and even spouses, only to discover they are still frustrated. Why? Because change comes not by where we go, but through what we know. Transformation begins with information. If you truly want to change, change your library, friends and influences.
The way a person thinks about himself is a key to how he will think about others and to his general outlook on life. Certain people could move into your neighbourhood and bring the property values down. If they moved next door to your P1 400 000 house and treated theirs like it was a P350, 000 home, all of a sudden your home`s value would start dropping.
When the realtor drives by and sees the uncut grass, weeds and trash covering their lawn, the realtor will think twice, attempting to cut your sale price because of your trash-thinking neighbour. The realtor will say, “We need to take an extra P49, 000 off the sale price to help the buyer endure the unsightly house next door”.
Do you know what is God`s number one problem on the planet? It is humans with delivered spirits but the same old oppressed minds. He has to put up with old trashy minds in a new and holy kingdom, and we bring God`s value down by our bad attitudes and by the way we treat ourselves and others.
God knew He couldn`t take the Israelites directly into freedom when Moses delivered them, because they would have turned Canaan into Egypt. So He took the time to work on their minds. Those whose minds He couldn`t change, He later buried them in the wilderness.
Myles Munroe an international motivator who has written a number books put it this way “Only people who are willing to fight and willing to take responsibility for the future are going to bear fruit for God in the new millennium.” According to Munroe we are going to bury some wilderness people because they are not ready for the awesome responsibility that lies ahead of us.
They will still be naming and claiming or sitting and doing nothing, and when God stops answering their baby prayers, they`ll think He left. Then they will murmur and die in the wilderness just as the Israelites did. He is going to wake a lot of these folks up. But some of them have spiritually deaf ears.
It takes free minds and a lot of guts to face Jericho. You need some backbone to look at the Amorite kings and declare, “We`re going to defeat you.” It takes a lot of internal fortitude to stand back and tell Joshua, “We can well take the land.”
It is easier to exist in slavery than to live in freedom. This is why many individuals, communities and nations who have experienced the excitement of deliverance turn their celebration into criticism when the reality of responsibility confronts them. Enough for today. ENDS



