Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Are you free? Do you walk in the freedom Christ died on the cross for? Or, do you feel shackled, enslaved or in bondage? To someone, or maybe to something?

As Christians we can rest on the assurance that the penalty of our sin was paid by Christ on that cross. We can know with certainty that we are no longer in bondage to the curse of sin.

Christ’s sacrifice for us was not just a one-way ticket to eternity. His sacrifice was an invitation to those of us who place our trust in Him to live in freedom here on Earth.

Culture encourages us to willingly shackle ourselves once again and live in bondage rather than in the freedom Christ’s sacrifice provides us.

Our mind set has shifted to an all-consuming mentality. We want more, and not just materialistically. We want more attention so we post every aspect of our lives on social media. We want more praise so we work over time to impress our boss. We want to be seen as competent and capable so we take on more projects than we have time for. We want to feed our fleshly desires leading many to destructive addictions. We want to be loved so we continue in a relationship that is not God ordained. We want to be seen as productive and not lazy so our schedules are full from sun up to sun down, with no room for rest. We have learned to bow to the idol of busyness.

When was the last time you stopped to truly take in God’s creation, or sit with a friend to simply catch up and laugh together? When was the last time you read a book for the pleasure of reading or sat by a river bank to feel the cool water gliding across the tops of your feet? When was the last time you spent quality and quantity time with your family with no interruptions? When was the last time you truly rested?

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are indeed free from the curse of sin, but have we chosen to continue in our slavery to the things of this world-things that God Himself has given to us as gifts-allowing them to consume us?

Is there someone or something holding you in bondage and you need to remove the shackles from today? Ask God to reveal to you those things in your life that keep you in bondage rather than living in the freedom that He wants you to live in.