August 23rd, 2017
Galatians 5:13
"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love."

What does living in freedom look like? It says that we are called to live in freedom but it does not say that we necessarily walk in that freedom. So what does that freedom look like? Is it an image of Jesus dying on the cross? How about some one singing with their arms raised and a smile on their face? What about some one on a street corner shouting "You have been saved!" bible dramatically being whipped around in their hands. Regardless of what your freedom looks like we are all called to it. But not the freedom to do anything under the sun that we please, we are now called higher than the life of bondage that often seems so pleasing. I feel that often times people get to that point of realizing that we are free but do a complete one-eighty and start living their live in accordance to things that are of this world. Even though walking in freedom sounds so easy, it is so hard. But why is that? Why is it that we see our sins and temptations, the shackles that are hanging on the wall open and reminding us of the death we will recieve with them, and call out about how we miss them? How is it that they seem so enticing? They are literally as clear as day what they are and what your outcome will be from them.

For me there was a sin in my life for a good couple years that I was in bondage to. I would be freed and I knew that I was freed from it but I kept going back. I would go and clamp closed that shackles after having them opened and off my wrist for a while. I kept going back to them. It wouldn't take long though for the me remember the smell of death and decay though and once I did I would cry out to God and He would send Jesus with a key to unlock me once again. Then I would be on my way forgetting about that freedom two weeks, a month, maybe two and be back in that prison cell in an instant. It isn't that way anymore though, I am freed and I plan not to go back into that hole ever again unless I am helping some one out of it. The next part of the verse talks about misusing your freedom, this reigns true to me now because when ever I share to some one my testimony it is important that I am giving the full glory to God and not making it something it isn't. I don't want to fall to pride when I share, it is important to remember it is all God, it wasn't me. I don't want to use what God has given me to satisfy my nature of pride. I want to use what he has given me to help others out of the holes they are in, and serve them in the way that no one ever did for me so that way they may be freed as well.

Application:
Share with my team my past and allow for the glory of God to be the main and only focus so that I do not become prideful.