For The Sake of Being Free

      As I lay here typing this out, trying to compose my thoughts for this post, my mind goes around and around thinking "I did it again. Whatever "it" is. I'm feeling this way again. I just want to get away from this thing."  Now this "thing" for me is something specific that I may discuss further in the future, but for now we're just going to think of it as a flaw of my mortal nature (you know, those lovely things called "sin" that we do that make us human.) You've heard it a million times: no one is perfect. But why do we still think we should be? Why do we hold standards so much higher for ourselves than we do for others. We usually give grace to a greater extent to others in our lives, but we beat ourselves up when we screw things. We expect our actions and words to be perfect and are disappointed when they're not. When we make a little mistake we treat it the same as a bigger fault. "Why'd I do THAT?!" and "Ugh, not again!" filter through our minds and guilt trip us like crazy. A sin is a sin. What's done is done. And sometimes we get so trapped in those thoughts that we forget to move on. We forget to forgive ourselves and let the mistakes light the path to becoming stronger and of better character.

   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

                                          

     As this verse from Galatians clearly states : "Jesus set us free so we could be free (have freedom)!!!!"BUT, the second half says that we need to stand firm in that freedom and not let our weak hearts try to carry that guilt of sin anymore. We are already forgiven, why should we carry those burdens? Holding onto guilt and shame is like a little kid trying to carry a big bag full of bricks and boulders wherever they go. You know. It's way too heavy, they're too small, they just plain don't have the strength. It's dragging behind them leaving a trail in the dirt reminding the world that it was there.  But when we're forgiven its like there's a big strong guy trying to carry it for you. Probably your dad. Yeah, your Heavenly Dad. He tries to take it from us to help us but we selfishly cling to it thinking "I deserve this". You know? We DO deserve that. That's the beautiful thing about grace and mercy. We get the forgiveness that we totally don't deserve and the scorn and wrath that we do deserve is withheld from us. Jesus took that for us when he died on the cross. He paid for it all in one transaction. It's DONE. No more.

    "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12

                              


      So, dear readers. Don't hold back! Just let it go! Be free from those chains that once held you so tight. You are forgiven and you can be free. It's in your power to choose to let those things go.
So I ask you to release those burdens into Jesus' care for the sake of being free. He wants you to rely on Him for your peace of mind. Because, loves, that's the only place true peace can be found. True, beautiful, all encompassing, all surpassing, peace.
Go be free! I'm working on this too. We're in this fight together. Now let's go be warriors of victory.

 ~ Sianna Renae