Now this idea that we are all enslaved by something...we like to reject it and believe that we're happy and don't need to "break free" from anything. But the truth is we all have that at least one thing in our life that distracts us from constantly pursuing a relationship with the Lord. Some people have things that really affect their life such as an addiction while others are more subtle, everyday things like sports or boyfriends/girlfriends and stuff like that. Now, these things that we are slaves to aren't always necessarily bad things, just the way we prioritize them before God and let them define us is what can be dangerous.
But the good news is that our God is greater and mightier than anything of this world and if we have faith that he will give us strength to repent and to break free, we can be made new by Him. We don't have to be slaves to items of this world, we can be slaves to God and to His will. Slavery often has a negative connotation and that's because wordly slavery is a negative thing. But Heavenly slavery- submitting yourself fully to God, being obedient to His word, and never hesitating to follow His will- brings overwhelming joy and peace. Greater is He who is within me than He who is in the world!
So how can we begin this lifestyle that's free of the world and full of Christ? First you must ask yourself what enslaves you. If the answer is nothing...YOU SIT ON A THRONE OF LIES. Harsh I know, but accountability needs to be sometimes. You must be completely honest with yourself and look in the depths of your heart. Contentment is such a dangerous thing and we should always be ready to admit and accept our flaws so that we actually can ask God to help us repent from them. Is it a certain sin that enslaves you? Do you lie often? Or feel like you must gossip to fit in? Or do you have a hard time loving others in the way God wants you to and often judge them? Do you constantly compare your life to others and wish for more? Do you have lustful thoughts? It was hard enough to admit to myself that I can answer yes to every single one of those questions, so it's pretty tough to admit it to everyone reading this. I don't say these kinds of things to to brag; I'm saying this to be open so that my readers can hold me accountable, so I can give every detail of the lessons I learn in hopes that someone else can learn from them too, and so that nobody thinks that just because I can sit behind my computer screen and share about my walk with God that I am not totally broken like everyone else. Anyways, I am a slave to all of those sins, some more than others, and cannot break free from them without the power of God. In this world we live in, it seems nearly impossible to stop those sins, and while it is impossible for a human not to sin, it is toally possible to break free from the chains of sin and stop letting it affect our relationship with God. Repeated sin is what holds us back,; when we constantly do the same sin is when we become a slave to it. But God can take that away and make us new! The same God that came to the earth in human form and suffered and bled and died for our sins is the same God today that can grant us the power to break away from the sins that enslave us! What great news!!
Now besides sin, we are also slaves to anything in our lives that we put before God over and over again..basically telling God that he isn't good enough. In high school especially, I see this happen with relationships. We all want to feel loved and valued and special and often look for that fulfillment in the opposite sex. I used to do this for a very long time, but didn't realize it for a while. Because me and the guy I dated both had good relationships with God and loved Him and went to church together and talked about God together, I thought there was no way that our relationship could be taking away from my relationship with God. It wasn't the guy's fault I was drawing away from God, it was my own. My mind and heart were filled with this guy way more than they were filled with God and I tried to find my happiness in the guy rather than in God. Even when a person treats you well and loves God, if you put your relationship with that person before yours with God, the relationship with fall apart at some point and you will be left feeling empty because your source of fulfullment is gone. If you search for fulfillment in absolutely anything but God, you will probably be found feeling empty in the end. But God is everlasting, eternal, and never failing! Our lives are to be 100% His because we were created for Him and by Him.
So I challenge you to truly reflect on what you are enslaved by. But don't be discouraged! Pray a long, intimate prayer, asking God to shower you in strength and power to break free and overcome this world! "You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it." -Matthew 21:22
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin." John 8:34
"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Romans 6:18
Free fall swing at Frontier Ranch this summer
Just my beautiful sister being free and what not.
No comments:
Post a Comment