What's it like to be held hostage? Three people in the small Blue Ridge Mountain town of Wytheville, Virginia, found out Dec. 23. Taken hostage? Nothing like that ever happens here! But it did. A man pushing a wheelchair allegedly carried weapons and what was thought to be explosives into the post office where unsuspecting customers and postal employees were going about their daily routine. Minutes later three of them were hostages fearing for their lives. Read more about this hostage situation here and here. Hour after hour passed as everyone anxiously waited for Warren "Gator" Taylor to make his demands known to the FBI negotiators. Finally he ordered a pizza, and shortly before midnight as the SWAT team shouted for him to surrender, he did the unexpected—he gave up. So ended a hostage situation that could have ended tragically. These three people endured a very stressful situation as they feared for their lives. What's holding you hostage? Sadly, we find much of society around us living in a state of stress and anxiety, not knowing what will be the outcome of circumstances that are seemingly holding them hostage. What is holding you hostage? Is it a dead-end job that makes you hate to go to work in the morning? Is it an unhappy marriage filled with strife and bitterness? Is it a mountain of debt that you feel is leading you down the path to bankruptcy? Is it an addiction that has control of your life? A key to unlock the chains Do you sometimes feel trapped and helpless to do anything to break free from the clutches of your captor? There is a key to unlock the chains that are binding you to the situation in life that is holding you hostage. It's contained in a book that is gathering dust on many bookshelves in millions of homes. Surprisingly, that book is the Bible. The Bible gives practical solutions to everyday problems dealing with work, marriage, personal relationships and sound financial management. In John 10:10 Jesus first describes Satan, the criminal who is ultimately responsible for holding this world captive. But then Jesus adds, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." Jesus Christ came so we can ultimately have eternal life, but He came also to help us understand how we can enjoy fulfilled, productive lives right now. The United Church of God has prepared a free booklet that explains how the Bible really does give practical advice that shows you the escape route from the captive situation that has you feeling trapped with no way out. Why not request or download Making Life Work and break free from your captors?