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Wednesday, April 17, 2019

I Am Called to Be Free

In review of Galatians 5:13 it says, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free” (NIV).

Galatians 5:13
As for you, my friend, I was called to be free. But do not let this freedom become an excuse for letting my physical desires control me. Instead, let love make me serve others.

In this verse, Paul distinguishes between freedom to sin and freedom to serve. Freedom or license to sin is no freedom at all, because it actually enslaves me to the enemy, others and even to my own sinful nature. By contrast, I should not be a slave to sin, because I'm free to do right and to glorify God through loving service to others.

God wants me to live in freedom. In fact, the Bible says, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free” (Galatians 5:13 NIV). Freedom is my calling. God doesn’t want me to live a buttoned-down, constrained life. He wants me to have an abundant life.

Jesus tells me, “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10 NLT).

If I’m not living a full and satisfying life, it’s not because God doesn’t want me to have it. He wants to set me free from:

1). The pain from my past. This is the regret or resentment that keeps me from being all God wants me to be.
2). The pressures of my present. This is the stress or exhaustion I face trying to manage the complexities of everyday life.
3). The pessimism about tomorrow. These are the worries about my future or the futures of those I love.

God wants me to be free of all of that.

To do so, plug in to the power of Easter. God has made available to me the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead 2,000 years ago.

The Bible says, “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead” (Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT).

The same power that blew the door off Jesus’ tomb will blow open the prison doors that hold me back.

Bottom Line:
We have been called to live in freedom. Not to to satisfy sinful desires, but rather to serve others in love.

What this means to me:
I have been called to live in freedom. But I shouldn't use this freedom to satisfy my sinful nature. Instead, I use my freedom to serve others in love.

In summary, I was called to be free, however I should not let this freedom be an excuse for letting my desires control me. Instead, I need to let love allow me to serve others. God wants me to have an abundant life. God wants to set me free from the pain of my past, the pressures of today, and any pessimism about tomorrow. To be free, I need to plug into the power of Easter. God has made available to me the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

Often the pressures of today zap my energy. I get caught up in the myriad of tasks and needs. God wants to free me from these. I just need to remember to plug into the power he offers to help guide me so that I can deal with it. This morning Father I pray for your power to help me live each day abundantly. Not as if life was a chore, but rather a way to serve others each day. I pray for your wisdom and guidance in my work, leadership for my team and just how I interact with others. I pray this in your Son Jesus name, amen!

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