Christine Hays shared a powerful message of how God has set her free and how she walks in that freedom today. Holly’s three main points were:
- Recognize the lies that are running through your head.
- Recognize your unique struggles and find specific scriptures to combat those thoughts and struggles.
- Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
Here, I want to share my musings on the topic as well as integrate again the wonderful points Holly made about freedom.
I’ve been thinking on this amazing word that covers so much ground, covers so much of redeemed life this thing called freedom.
Freedom travels deep. Although, I believe many may have settled short and may not be experiencing the life of one who is truly free.
Freedom is a gift that requires continued action on our part.
Yes, freedom cuts off the chains of bondage and literally shouts, “Break loose, Child, you are washed and given a new lease!” To be granted freedom is to be given a new life, one that has been voided of the necessity of carrying one’s own sin and shame any longer.
This is the Father’s miraculous gift to us all once we accept our beautiful adoption into the family of God and walk inside of the privilege that entails.
Freedom is a position of abundant richness that comes with being a child of King!!
But what I can’t get out of my mind is that although freedom is throwing off of restraints, if it’s true freedom, it also involves a taking on of an awesome responsibility!
For freedom does not come without a price –ever.
There is a cost in order to associate with it, in order to carry it and walk in it.
It’s not a passive reception that begets true freedom, it’s an active alignment with the fullness of it’s gift.
If, for instance, one is bound helplessly and a savior comes and cuts him loose, the epitome of freedom is displayed in the loosed running at breakneck speed in the opposite direction from the place of bondage.
The one set free must act in that freedom in order to benefit from freedom’s full power.
As freed women we need to continue to choose freedom! As Holly shared there are ways to act in freedom in our lives and they are vital for engagement.
Check your beliefs
Examine your beliefs to make sure they are the beliefs of one who is free.
Imagine being trapped in an elevator for hours and then someone gets the doors open for you but you stay in the elevator as if you are still trapped. That’s how some live, set free but still carrying the beliefs and acting as one who is not. When you’ve lived most of your life in bondage to something it makes sense that there would be some work to do in your mind to act in this new position of freedom. That work- the work of checking and changing your beliefs is worth it!
Want some help with examining what false beliefs you may be carrying around with you-beliefs that keep you from feeling free?
A great resource that I offer my coaching clients is Dr. Caroline Leaf’s 21 Day Brain Detox http://21daybraindetox.com/. This is an exercise that is easily incorporated into a daily quiet time and also happens to include a practice of- the next point-Thanksgiving!
Choose thankfulness
The act of thanksgiving is supernaturally freeing! Ann Voskamp in her book 1000 Gifts, 1000 Gifts, encourages us to find the beauty in the normally overlooked things or difficult things in any given day. The way your daughter’s hair just fell softly in her face, the smell of the food floating from a strangers house that brings back memories of home, even finding thankfulness for the angst between siblings breaking forth positive traits like courage and tenacity for life. Finding the things to be thankful for in the mundane parts of our day is very freeing and keeps the connection to freedom alive in our life.
For when Christ made freedom an earth shattering thing for us, it was the moment he succumbed to the great responsibilities true freedom requires.
On the cross, Christ granted us freedom from sin in the most groundbreaking way.
He showed us how, as the One who conquered sin, death and hell himself, the miracle performing man of God could have literally removed himself from the violence of the cross, yet didn’t. Instead, He submitted His whole being to truth in an environment where lies rampantly filled the air. And if that’s not enough, inside of the freedom he carried with the cross, He chose to set Joy before Himself as a reminder of the beauty that would be born out of such tragedy.
Christ our perfect example, while in the very act of setting us free, showed us the way to live inside of that freedom regardless of our circumstances.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:2
As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6-7 AMPC
Source: by Women of Faith