All too often we set out at the beginning of a day, with all good intentions of living in God’s joy and peace. Living in the freedom that Christ came to give us – after all, as the Apostle Paul writes, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. God means for us to be free. That’s why He sent Jesus – to give us that freedom.
But then, it’s almost as though the devil deliberately wants to rob you of your sense of freedom, someone comes along to argue with you, to fight with you, to be angry with you, to stab you in the back, to … right? And it’s like, in an instant, your sense of freedom, peace, joy, just disappear. In an instant you go from living in victory, to being a victim. Freedom. Great. What happened to that?
But God has an answer to that. He has a solution for that. Because He doesn’t want anyone or anything robbing you of your freedom. Again, the Apostle Paul:
Galatians 6:1,9: My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. … So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.
Did you catch it, instead of adopting our victim mentality, instead of going on the back foot, get out there on the front foot by exercising your faith through unconditional love.
Look, when they came to arrest Jesus, when the tried Him, beat Him, spat on Him, when they nailed Him to a Cross, not at any point in that process did He adopt a victim mentality. He knew what He was about. He knew what He was called to – to save us through sacrificial, unconditional love.
In fact, at one point He even said:
John 10:18 No one takes my life from me but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.
There’s freedom of choice. There’s faith working through sacrificial love.
So, when people come against you, don’t throw in the towel, don’t become the victim. Don’t grow weary in doing what is right, don’t let them rob you of your victory, your peace, your joy, your freedom. Don’t grow weary of doing what’s right. Love them. Correct and admonish them sure. But do it in love. Whenever you have the opportunity show that unconditional, sacrificial love.
Will it hurt some days? Absolutely. Going to the cross always hurts. But you will reap that harvest … at harvest time.
That’s freedom.
And that’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
Berni Dymet
By Bernie Dymet, Saturday, 25 March
‘If you yearn to live a life of meaning and purpose, joy and peace, then Christianityworks is for you: full of life-changing, practical Bible teaching to help you live out the victory that you already have, in Jesus Christ. Taking you deeper into God’s Word and Closer to Jesus. Delivered to your inbox daily.’ Bernie Dymet.
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