It was like a blow to the chest,
Knocking the wind from my lungs,
That moment I realized…
I was still in the place where you hurt me.
Time has past,
You are now gone,
But the echoes remain.
It didn’t matter what I had done,
For you, it was never enough.
You tried to tell me that no one else would love me,
Not realizing that I was already learning,
To love myself again.
You see, I am my own person,
Worthy of love and kindness.
I know this because,
I have a God who loves me.
Because of His love and grace,
He gave me strength when I was weak,
And peace when my heart was troubled.
Now, the darkness has gone,
Light shines all around me,
And I know,
I am free.
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,” Psalm 107:13-15 NIV.
Being free means different things for different people. We often think about freedom in the context of being able to do whatever we want, whenever we like, and with no consequences. While this may sound nice, it doesn’t compare with the freedom we can find with God.
“Now the Lord is the spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom,” 2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV.
It is comforting to know that because of God, my soul is free. As much as evil will try and trap it and bring it down, God is there to protect me. The ultimate act that happened to set us free was Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. He freed us all from persecution and wiped away our transgressions. Through believing in God, we are set free from worry, sadness, anger, guilt, and hurt.
The freedom that is found through God doesn’t give us permission to behave any way we like. There are still boundaries for us to live by.
“Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves,” 1 Peter 2:16 NIV.
God does not want us to hurt others, but He wants us to show love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness as we have been shown. It is by our actions and kind words that we can show others how wonderful the gift of freedom is when we accept God into our lives. This freedom also allows us to live our lives as God intended us to. Let us give praise to God for setting us free!
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for sacrificing Your only Son so that we all might live. Please help us to continue living according to Your will. There is no greater freedom than the forgiveness and unconditional love You give us. Amen.
Author | Marie Fox
Marie Fox lives in a small country town in Southern Australia. She has a passion for reading and music. She is a mother to one, papercrafter at night, and enjoys playing grass hockey. Find her on Instagram @myfriendlythoughts. Check out her business on Instagram at @craftyfoxcards and her website, www.craftyfoxcards.com.
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