Shattered Chains
For Fathers Fighting for More Than Themselves
Scripture Anchor
“Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?”
— Zechariah 3:2 (ESV)
“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive.”
— Genesis 50:20 (ESV)
Devotional
Addiction always feels personal at first.
You think it’s just your struggle—your secret, your weight, your shame. Maybe it's porn. Maybe it's drinking. Maybe it's just plain numbness. You think you're managing it.
But the truth is, it’s not just about you.
It never was.
When a man stays bound—especially a father—the damage doesn’t stay contained. It ripples. It touches everything. Your marriage starts to lose its clarity. Your kids sense something’s off, even if they can’t name it. Your leadership, your presence, your purpose—it all gets quieter.
And the enemy loves that. Because if he can keep you stuck, he doesn’t just neutralize you—he slows down everyone you were meant to lead.
But if you ever got free?
If you stopped managing and started surrendering—if you handed your mess to the God who actually breaks chains—everything would change.
You’d start seeing your kids differently.
You’d show up in your marriage like a man who’s awake again.
You’d stop carrying shame like it was part of your identity.
The enemy knows that, too.
That’s why he fights so hard to keep you in bondage. It’s not just about ruining your peace—it’s about cutting off the people who depend on your leadership. He knows if you ever actually step into what God’s called you to do, you’ll become dangerous. Not perfect. Not polished. But dangerous in the right direction.
And let’s be honest—sometimes the scariest part isn’t the addiction. It’s what happens next.
If you let go, what do you pick up instead? Who do you become? What will your kids expect from a man who's finally fully present?
That’s the real reason most of us delay.
But your kids don’t need a perfect man. They need a free one.
A father who’s done pretending.
A husband who’s tired of faking peace.
A leader who knows he’s not enough on his own—and stops trying to be.
If you’ve been thinking your sin only affects you, take a hard look around.
Who’s paying for the chains you’re still wearing?
And more importantly—what would happen if they saw you break them?
Gut Check
What chain have you quietly made peace with?
Who’s carrying the weight of your addiction along with you?
What would change—at home, at church, in your legacy—if you finally walked free?
Prayer
Lord,
I’ve been trying to manage what You came to destroy.
I’ve treated my chains like they were mine to carry.
But I know better now.
I want out.
Not just so I can feel whole—but so the people I lead don’t inherit my wreckage.
Break what I can’t.
Burn what I won’t.
And turn what’s left into something You can use.
I want to be the man the enemy hoped I’d never become.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.