On a visit to the zoo a few years ago, I remember passing the Sun Bear’s exhibit and reading about why two particular bears were pacing back and forward on a small pathway across their enclosure even though they were not chained up. However, I soon learned that these bears were chained permanently to a post as young cubs before being rescued. As a result, they were conditioned to only pace back and forward in a small space even though they were now free from their chains.
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 gives us the gift of freedom. The bible says, “who the Son (Jesus) sets free is free indeed.” (John 8:36)
Yet we often live anything but free lives because we still think and act like we are in chains, stuck in our past, our disappointments, mistakes, and hindered by wrong thinking about our future. We pace back and forward in limited attitudes and vision, often allowing ourselves to be intimidated by what we see around us when we have been given open access to all that heaven and earth has to offer. We have been gifted with freedom, joy, and an amazing future where God is with us and for us.
Thankfully Jesus gives all who come to Him a clean slate with an invitation to ask Him to help us see beyond our present circumstances. He says we are a new creation with an expansive future and have absolute freedom from what previously held us in chains. (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 10:9)
Therefore, the choice every day is ours – will we live in slavery and limitations 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, lack of vision 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; you are not a slave, so isn’t it about time you started living out your freedom and taking hold of the life for which Christ set you free?
“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)
Prayer: Jesus, thank you that when I ask you to be part of my life, you set me free and break the bondage of slavery off my life. Would you please help me grasp what you have done for me and that I would choose every day to live out the freedom that is mine in every area of my life? In Jesus name Amen.
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