Galatians 5:1 So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
Everyone wants to be free, but many find it very hard to live free. Let me explain. A person might struggle for years, even decades with smoking, for example. They try medication, they try gum, they try vaping. Basically, anything that will give them a chance to stop. All they want to do is be free of the money it costs, this social embarrassment of constantly stepping outside for a cigarette along with the general knowledge of their long-term health deteriorating. Many times, after someone finally obtains that freedom, they find there is a gap that needs to be filled. The time it used to take to step outside for a cigarette, or the routine of going to the corner store to buy some- there is now a gap. Because the routine was so ingrained, they look for ways to fill that time. Many ex-smokers, for example, will begin eating more, or possibly drinking more. They want to become free of one thing but end up allowing something else to take over.
Reborn
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. John 1:12-13
I love that word- reborn.
Jesus didn’t set us free so that could walk out of maximum security into minimum security.
New Legacy
Our Ready Now Recovery groups that are led at our community offices and 4 Teir Program go through a study called “Building a New Legacy” (Breaking Free 507). In this study, we encourage a changing of mindset towards the future. What am I leaving for the people and surroundings after me?
This can be very hard. Many have even lived in a particular prison for more than one generation. When we consider all the destruction in our past, we have no choice but to deliberately decide to create a new legacy.
Jesus makes it clear that if we believe in Him, we become children of God. Or, reborn. It implies that we think differently. We use our time differently. We prioritize differently.
So, if we find ourselves free from one thing, let’s take every step to fill our lives with new activities, new thought patterns and even new routines!
Reflection: Ask God to help you self-evaluate your time and routines, so that when He sets you free of a bad habit, you are ready to fill it with something amazing.
