Stockholm Syndrome is an extremely cool and extremely sketchy concept. Google defines Stockholn Syndrome as "feelings of trust or affection felt in many cases of kidnapping or hostage-taking by a victim towards a captor."
I mean, the only reason I know what stockholm syndrome is, is because Blink 182 has a song named after it, and I was curious and looked up the meaning. But the meaning always stuck with me. And I realized that its a very real thing.
Im gonna try and make an analogy right now, and Satan is the ultimate captor. I have experienced many times in my life, "Stockholm Syndrome." I will use swearing as an example. When I was little, I thought swearing was the unpardonable sin. I remember one time, My brother and I were on a trip with our dad, and Josh and accidently said "SHI*". My face got HUGE, and he looked at me like I just caught him murdering our family. We both knew what he did was wrong, he started crying, and I tattled on him.
But now, My senior year. Tavas Neuwirth and Brandon Closson are witnesses that swearing was no longer an impardonable sin for me...
But why? Because satan had become my captor. I was/am defintely a captive in certain things. I know theyre wrong. Everyone knows their wrong, But in a way, I could say that the Stockholm syndrome took affect. OBVIOUSLY kidnapping someone is wrong, and it harms the person being kidnapped, and yet somehow, the victim is able to condone and even trust the captor? I would say its the same with sin. I KNOW swearing is wrong, and I know its harmful to me, and yet I STILL DO IT.
It was because I slowly but surely began to see it as normal, and eventually trusted satan that "it wasnt that bad", and eventually I was doing exactly what the demon wanted me to do. I know satan is my enemy, but i do what he wants.... STockholm Syndrome.
1 Corinthians 10;13
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
God didnt just throw us down here with satan and say, "do your best". Obviously He wants us to do our best. He wants us to resist tempation. But He also knows we all mess up. He loves us, and he gave us a way to escape, ALWAYS. And I know its hard. Repentance is hard. Ima say it again
Repentance is hard.
repentance isnt just the pardonning of our sins. Repentance is a refining process. Its leaving the sin and never going back. Its not an easy thing. I love a quote I found by Boyd K. Packer.
"<Temptations> may be extremely difficult to resist. But that is better than to yield and bring dissapointment and unhappiness to you and those you love."
I found myself during testimony meeting, just kind of gloomy, becuase tempation is hard to resist. And I was playing the victim, "Why me? Why do I have this?" And then I remembered the words to my new favorite hymn. (Savior, redeemer of my Soul, 112)
"Chasten my soul til I shall be, In perfect harmony with Thee. Make me more worthy of Thy Love. And fit me for the life above."
I know it is impossible to be perfect here. But I know Im not here on earth to earn Heaven, I am here to learn heaven. I know I need to stop being a victim to satan, and start being a combattant. We were made by God to be great. I know that God gave us a Savior, His own beloved Son, to come and die for our sins. So that we could always have His comfort and His support. He knows how hard it is for all of us. He felt it all, and He overcame it all. I love my Lord, and I know He loves me more than I can understand. I know now that there are no short-cuts on the straight narrow, and Im no exception. DC 95:1
1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you—
-Elder Vincent
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