Freedom

Bondage is a horrible thing to live in.  Feeling chained down. Broken.  Disconnected. Hurt. Sad. Lonely. Misunderstood. Unforgiven. Unworthy.  Invisible.

This time of year is a time when we celebrate the birth of our savior.  The Messiah who came to free us from our bondage.  But, when you are chained down, its hard to lift your head and feel set free.   Jesus said in John 8:34 "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin".  Well, thanks Jesus... that's comforting to know!  But, we know its true.  We say something mean to someone, or we do something that disappoints another, we live in that feeling.  When we sit at home alone feeling sorry for ourselves because we are tired and alone, we are living in our sin.  We are chained and broken.  As a slave we have no permanent family, but a son or daughter does.  So, Jesus didn't stop at verse 34.  No, read on, there is hope!!

John 8:36 "So if the son sets you free, you are free indeed!".  Wow, read that again!  If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.  What does that mean to you?  To me it means I am no longer held down, captive, in chains.  If I take my brokenness, my disconnect, my hurts, my saddness, my lonliness, my unforgiveness, my unworthiness to the foot of the cross, to the feet of Jesus, He says I will be free.  Don't you want to live in freedom?  Don't you want to feel loved and secure in the family of Jesus?  I do.  So, why then do I carry around things from the past that have hurt me and kept me bound in chains? Why do I let those things take control over my thoughts?  We can't change our past, but we can focus on our future, on our today.  

 

God has given us a gift - the gift of Grace.  Gods riches at Christs expense.  He took all of our shame, our brokenness, our emptiness, sadness, and he nailed it to the cross.  Why, if he did that, do we still pick it up and carry it with us every day?  Why do we live in bondage?  Rejoice in the gift of freedom Christ gave you.  He came to earth as a small child, he was ridiculed, beaten, bruised, spit at and tortured for YOU!  Celebrate the gift of grace he gave you and walk in freedom today.  I know I am.  Or I am certainly going to try.  I will make a conscious effort this week to lay all of my "stuff" at the foot of the cross and leave it there.  Its a continuous process because every day we are faced with new challenges, old thoughts, feelings and fears.  Each day, spend time at the foot of the cross and leave it all there, and then walk in the freedom Christ gave you.

If the Son sets you free, YOU  are free indeed!!!!  Amen