Stand Firm! We are set free!

Galatians 5:1 -“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”

What are the bondages that many Christians keep returning to? One area of our bondage is our emotions. As the saying goes, we are often our own 'greatest enemy'. How true. But which part of us is our 'greatest enemy'. I believe there are 2 - our heart and our mind.

The bible says "the heart is desperately wicked and beyond cure" (Jeremiah 17:9). We are often deceived by our emotions. Worse, we are even 'taken captive' bythem. And these emotions often stem from legitimate incidents, for example some could have been abused, rejected, betrayed, insulted or offended...These give rise to feelings of hurt, anger, jealousy, frustration, unforgiveness, loneliness, pain etc. We often get caught in a vicious cycle of these emotions and wallow in self-pity, negativism, anger etc can’t seem to get out of it.

But why can't we get out of it? Because we refuse to let these feelings go. We refuse to be set free. We 'relish' in 'brewing' these emotions. To some extent, indulging in these feelngs of hurt can be quite 'gratifying' and even 'romantic', can't it? I remember reading somewhere that some sins can be 'enjoyable'! You would agree with me these emotions are sinful in God's eye (except may be anger - God allows anger but He says 'in your anger do NOT sin'!). They are sinful and self-defeating but yet so hard to let go because in a way, they are 'enjoyable' - for instance, in our mind, we can rehearse confronting and chastising the one who has offended or hurt us and get a good kick out of it without having really to confront the person in real life!

But God demands holiness from His children, not only in actions but also in thoughts and emotions. Above all, He wants to set us free from all these emotional bondages so that we can live a life of inner peace and joy,knowing that our GOD has His reasons for allowing us to go through every trial and suffering (of wrong) so as to produce in us a strength of character.

Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:1 that it was for freedom that Christ has set us free. So we should stand firm and refuse to let these unhealthy and ungodly emotion return to take captive of us and haunt us again. Otherwise, like a yoke on a calf’s neck, they will constrain and prevent us from fulfilling our potential and God’s calling.

The choice is ours. The key is in our own hands. Claim and appropriate His victory. He has set us free already. Do not be enslaved again. Soar to greater heights to fulfill your destiny Christ has called us to.

Other bondages – habitual sins like addiction, laziness, procrastination etc. Also, idolatory – of status, money, reputation etc...perhaps we'll deal with them in another devotion....be blessed!