Attachment and Strongholds

What is attachment? What does it look like?

Mother and baby’s relationship-As mom responds to baby’s cry appropriately and meets her needs, over and over, a secure attachment is formed. Baby’s brain is wired with a sense of trust and safety

The result of a secure attachment: trust, needs met, Who I am is good, I’m safe, I am the sparkle in someone’s eye; someone is glad to be with me

What happens when we don’t have a secure attachment?

No parent is perfect; even pretty good parents will leave gaps

But sometimes parents were either unable to give the care that baby needed, maybe through illness or death, or sometimes they may have been neglectful or abusive, but for whatever reason, the child comes to the conclusion that the parent is unsafe

Insecure attachment- leads to attaching to other things- drugs, food, sex, porn, maybe even religion, other people’s approval

Strongholds- something other than God or his people that we put our trust in to keep us safe, give us joy or make us feel valuable and enjoyable

What does it have to do with Attachment? In psychology, a secure attachment relationship is often called a Secure Base. A child with a secure attachment knows they can trust mom to save them; meet their needs, so they can feel confident to venture out and explore the world. They can come running back to mom anytime they feel frightened or in need.

It reminded me of how many times in scripture, especially the Psalms, God is described as a refuge, a strong tower, a fortress or a stronghold that the righteous can run into and find safety- much like a securely attached mother. [Cite a handful of verses]

Secure attachment to God

God created us relational because he intends for us to have a secure attachment to him and his people.

Hesed and Agape- Words the Bible uses to describe God’s attachment love towards us, his people- think of how these words are translated in your Bible- steadfast love, enduring faithfulness,

Hesed- occurs 199 times in the OT

Agape- occurs over 300 times in the NT

It moved my heart in a new way when I encountered these words in the Bible, knowing they are pointing towards this kind of love from God to me. [cite a few verses]

In the battle to overcome strongholds, we need to identify thoughts and beliefs that are opposed to the knowledge of God, confess, repent of them and renounce them, but we must also be growing this new secure attachment to God- because what we believe and how we act flows out of who we are attached to and who we love.

Appreciation prayer practice

Think of a memory when you felt thankful, joyful, peaceful, etc

Invite Jesus, the Father, Holy Spirit to join you in remembering the memory

Ask Him: What do you want me to know about your steadfast love for me? What do you want me to know about the strongholds in my life?

Invitation to respond, confess and renounce strongholds, receive prayer for God’s steadfast love in our hearts