Today my husband and I took our two youngest children to the zoo. While there we looked at the Sun Bear’s exhibit and read about why two particular bears at our zoo paced back and forward across their enclosure as though they were chained up rather than behaving and moving in a more free and unlimited manner. However we soon learnt that as young cubs these bears had been harshly treated and before being rescued from their captors had been chained permanently to a post, which only allowed them limited movement. As a result they had been conditioned even though now no longer chained, to only pace back and forward in a small space.
As I watched the sun bears pacing I realised that we can do the very same thing. When we know Jesus and have asked Him to be part of our lives He comes and offers us freedom. The bible says, “who the son (Jesus) sets free is free indeed.” (John 8:36) Yet so often we live anything but free lives because we still think and act like we are in chains; chained to our past, our sin, our disappointments, our mistakes, our fears and every other thing that the devil came against us with. We pace back and forward stuck in narrow pathways and mindsets, when we have actually been given open access to all that heaven and earth has to offer. We have been given freedom, joy, and an amazing future where God is with us and for us.
Unfortunately instead of living out that freedom and exercising our dominion and authority over our circumstances because Jesus said we have that right, we often still live under our circumstances, and allow our past to dictate to our futures.
Thankfully Jesus declared that we have been set free, and that our past has been washed away. In relationship with Him we have been given a clean slate – He calls us new creations; born again with a new life and absolute freedom from the things that previously held us in chains. (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 10:9)
The choice everyday therefore is ours – will we live in slavery or embrace the freedom for which Jesus set us free?
Today consider carefully whether you are behaving and thinking like a slave; pacing back and forward hampered by limitations from your past or the lies the enemy is still telling you? Or are you choosing to live free, as a son or daughter of God with all the blessing and authority of heaven behind you? Jesus has broken every chain, which means we are longer slaves, so isn’t’ it about time we started truely living out our freedom?
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
“You haven’t received the spirit of slaves that leads you into fear again. Instead, you have received the spirit of God’s adopted children by which we call out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)
Have a listen to this song “No longer slaves to fear” to encourage you today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxkNj5hcy5E
Prayer: Jesus thank you that when I ask you to be part of my life you set me free, and broke the bondage of slavery off my life. Please help me to grasp hold of what you have done for me and that I would choose everyday to live out the freedom that is mine. In Jesus name Amen.
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