Skip to main content

Be(coming)

              It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

            “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

             Freedom is important to us, but we don’t understand it as much as we should. For some, freedom is the ability to do whatever they want. They aren’t free unless they can leap over tall buildings or go into space without a space suit. If those things and others like them aren’t true, there is only an illusion of freedom. Either freedom is absolute (for that individual) or non-existent. And the fact that your freedom might be in any way limited by my freedom makes freedom a lie.

The problem isn’t really that freedom is a lie. It’s that the definition is wrong. Freedom doesn’t mean being able to do whatever you want. It’s not even that you are about to do 75 percent or 50% of what you want. It has to do with not being prevented from doing what you know is right or what you should do.

Freedom is one of the things for which we need to pray in the year – and it’s even a catchy slogan: “Free in Twenty-Three.” We need to pray to be free from

Sin

Addiction

Obsession

Fear

Anxiety

Doubt

Timidity

Manipulation

Procrastination

Abuse (given or taken)

Depression & Despair

Anger

Perfectionism

Judgementalism

Greed

Selfishness

Lies

Sensuality and Lust…

            Add whatever you see is missing. Prayerfully pick three to lift up to God in the coming year. If you got rid of those, what would be part of your life in their place. Any time you give up something, you must replace it with something else. If you give up an addiction, health is the desired replacement. Quite often, the thing with which we should replace these things is with God, Himself. If you’re not sure what the replacement is, ask God.

            Spend some time talking with Him about what a life without your three would be like. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more