To all who would be free

The more I study Scripture, the clearer my understanding becomes on these two things:

1. God is who He says He is in His Word.

2. I am who God says I am in His Word.

And the more I grasp these two separate yet interwoven truths, the more I’m made aware of an unfortunate and heartbreaking reality:

Far too few actually know what God’s Word says.

We are on a journey together, my friends. Young and old, seasoned in faith or new, side by side, we are seeking to become women who follow after Jesus Christ. We probably come to the table with some presuppositions, expectations, comparisons, and shortcomings, not to mention baggage, but we come. And for the brief moment that we have been given, I pray we are utterly and wholly arrested by God’s presence and spurred on towards His purposes for our lives.

Which brings me to this: FREEDOM. I can hardly even whisper that word without intense joy and a deep longing bubbling over within my soul. I want this, and not just for me. I’m desperate to see God’s daughters walking in the freedom that Jesus Christ died to afford us. But freedom is a reality for far too few of us, and not because it’s not possible; rather, it’s simply because we refuse to embrace it.

Can you imagine a life free from fear, insecurity, deception, defeat, anxiety, depression, doubt, bitterness, addiction, and greed? I’m not suggesting a life free from problems and hardship. I’m submitting to you today that Christ took the heavy weight of your sin upon His blood-stained, broken body so that you don’t have to carry it any longer. Freedom.

If we are going to be women who follow after Jesus, we have to be able to go where He is going, and this is incredibly difficult for us to do with the heavy burdens of our sin, shame, regret, and guilt strapped tightly to our backs. Galatians 5:1 charges us with these words:

“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.”

In your pursuit of Jesus today, what is He calling you out of? Is there any area of your life where you are living less than free? And finally, what is Jesus calling you to? There is not a single one of us that lacks divine purpose in Christ. Part of the pursuit of God involves being covered in the dust of the one we are following so that we can pass on His influence to others that will come behind us.

Take some time to reflect on these questions, and feel free to journal your response or leave a comment. What is Jesus calling you out of? What is Jesus calling you to?