“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
Since I first became a believer, the tension between the freedom that Christ came to give me, and the weight of fulfilling the law has been a real struggle for me.
Each day, I actually have a choice between 2 yokes to wear. Christ spoke of another yoke in Matthew 11:28-29: “Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
How do you know which yoke you are wearing? It is so easy to “be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” For me, it is when I am feeling weighed down by expectations or a sense of obligations: God’s, other’s, or my own. It is when I believe the lie that I have to “measure up.”
As I have once again revisited this choice of freedom or bondage, certain truths seem to “set me free” (John 8:32).
1. When you know who you are (God’s beloved child, loved unconditionally) there is a freedom that comes with that identity.
2 When you are clear in what Christ has done for you (redeemed and forgiven) there is a freedom to move ahead with clarity and assurance, freed from the slavery of meeting real or imagined expectations
Father God, I acknowledge that I don’t feel “set free” today. What is keeping me from experiencing the freedom that you want to give me? Please help me to consciously choose your yoke over the yoke of slavery. Amen.
Do you believe that you are free?
If not, bring this promise before God today, and ask him to show you why you are not experiencing the “life set free.” Perhaps something has enslaved you without your realizing it. Perhaps you have started believing a lie, like the Galatians did.
By Karen Woodard
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• Have you Checked Your Compass Lately?