Freedom.
That's what I've thought about all week. I ruminated about how I was set free because of the redemptive work of Christ. It was nothing of my own.
He just did it.
Set us Free.
We were imprisoned and he set us free.
Living as free is now our responsibility. THIS had me up most nights. I asked myself, "How am I not living free? What am I fighting? To what am I holding on?"
When I was a little girl, my sister and I were often dropped off at my Great Grandmother's home. We were there to help out in any way she needed. We loved being distracted by her things. They were treasures that we loved finding throughout her house like washboards, antique wall phones, old wigs, books, and old bibles. We were constantly excited to get lost in her possessions. There were many great stories of her life in the old days.
I remember one day our responsibilities were to clean the chicken coop, gather eggs, and feed the chickens. I was about 11 and my sister was 9. In our minds this request from her was a confirmation that she had lost her mind! We never had a desire to do anything with those chickens in her backyard and this day was no different. However, we knew she wasn't asking. She was telling!
So off we went!
We began to devise a plan. My sister would distract the chickens by feeding them and I would gather the eggs. She picked up the feed bag and began to scatter it across the feeding trays. The chickens began to follow the feed. Why did they do that?! My sister noticed that they were following her and she LOST HER MIND! Sheer panic! She began screaming and running in circles! I watched it all in disbelief. My great grandmother laughed so much she wasn't of any help. She chuckled so hard, tears were falling.
Unbelievable!
My poor sister. Notice that I just watched. I was not about to join in the mayhem and get plucked or eaten or whatever they do. As my sister ran away from the chickens, she continued to spill the seeds. As she spilled they were clucking, flapping their wings, and running behind her.
Why didn't she just drop the bag?!
Three circles later, she did. She let the feed bag go. She ran clean out of the backyard, around the house and back into the front door. My great grandmother was still laughing!
What does this have to do with freedom? Everything!
Sometimes the very things that we are trying to get away from, we are feeding. We live our days giving life to the things that we want to kill.
We scream.
We cry.
We beg for help.
However, we have the feed bag under our arms and are still dropping seeds. Our thoughts, actions, and words are sustaining Fear, Doubt. Worry. Depression. Anxiety, Anger, Unforgiveness, etc.
What are you trying to live free of? What's continuing to chase you? What are you feeding? How are your thoughts, your daily activities, or your words hindering your life of freedom?
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
I am challenging myself to drop the bag and run in FREEDOM! What about you?
When we catch ourselves feeding the chickens, we will say "DROP THE BAG!"
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." -Matthew 19:26
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. -Philippians 4:13
We can do this!
Let's
#JUMP!
Blessings!
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