Do You Want To Be Free?

“The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” (John 10:10 NLT)

In John’s Gospel chapter 10, verse 10 Jesus says: “The thief’s (Satan’s) purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My (Jesus’) purpose is to give them (us) a rich and satisfying life.” (NLT) When we hide our secrets, hoping no one will discover who we “really are,” we allow Satan to rob us of the healing we so desperately need and we so earnestly desire. Since being set free in the small group meeting I mentioned in yesterday’s post, my wife and I have since led two similar groups, largely because we believe in the power of stories.

When people pull back the curtain of their heart and reveal who they really are by sharing their stories, it builds unbelievable rapport, opening doors of friendship and deepening relationships that heal and bring wholeness. Sharing our stories promotes transparency and reduces defensiveness, inviting others to walk with us in our pain and development as a child of God. But perhaps most importantly, it gives freedom to the Holy Spirit to flow through us into the hearts and souls of those with whom we share.

It seems strange to have to admit that I hadn’t been able to grasp the impact my growing up years actually had on me as an adult. So many of the decisions and life-choices we make are a direct result of circumstances we experienced as children. But we can’t lose sight of the fact our stories are still being written and will continue to be revealed as long as we’re on this planet. Essentially what can happen is, God’s story, the Gospel of Jesus, our Savior and Rescuer, changes our story, which when empowered by God’s Spirit, can lead to the changing of someone else’s story.

That’s great news, because regardless of how badly I’ve failed, how fully I’ve allowed the tentacles of sin to envelop me, because of who Jesus is and what He’s done for me through His death on the Cross, by His grace alone – I’M FREE! Free to be everything God has intended for me to be from the foundation of the world; free to pursue the fulfilled life Jesus died to give me. The shackles of my past have no hold on me. I’m alive in ways I’ve never been before to the fullness of God’s Spirit at work in my life and I’m finally beginning to understand what love really is and why it was so central in Jesus’ decision to come to earth.

Well, for now, that’s my story, but because of Jesus, my story is continuing to change for the better! May the Lord enable you to trust Him to use your story as you share it with others.

True freedom begins with an invitation for Jesus to forgive and give you His Holy Spirit to indwell, guide and enable you to live in the freedom only He can give. Have you experienced that freedom? I invite you to click the link below to watch a brief video by Ron Hutchcraft. You can begin walking with Jesus today. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god 

Blessings, Ed 🙂