1It 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.
Can Christians be in Captivity?
According to this verse, Yes! We are to not let ourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
But notice, the verse says “a” yoke of slavery not “the” yoke of slavery.
“The” yoke of slavery is sin. As Christians, we are forever freed from sin, it can never again ensnare us.
We can, however, be snared by addiction (alcohol, drugs, violent video games, pornography, eating), selfishness, poor money stewardship, poor stewardship of our own time, over committing ourselves, laziness, whining, gossip… goodness and we could go on, but we won’t.
The point is that we have to ask ourselves… “What do I spend the most time thinking about?” “What do I spend the most time doing?” “When I’m awake at night, what am I thinking about?” “When I cannot sleep, what am I pondering?” “when I get off on Friday after work, what is the first thing I want to do?”
For, often it is in answering these questions that we realize that we have a yoke. I have to reject the pull and desire to spend all of my time blogging over at Cool Cat Teacher. I love to blog and I love teaching. But, I have three children to raise and a husband to take care of and home to manage. If I put my blog above everything else even if God called me to it, it is His to handle.
I got quite bummed yesterday when my Technorati ranking dropped below 10,000 for the first time in a year. (It is based on how many bloggers link to your blog.)
Then, I had to remind myself of who I am. That blog is Gods and it is His to bless and His to take away. If I am doing that which He called me to do, the popularity contest is not going to distract me from His purpose and plan.
This is hard for me and for who gets caught up in such popularity contests, but I have to give perspective to it. In a world where most students cannot even remember the presidents — supposedly the highest power in the land… who on earth will remember me? My family and those individuals who I have helped or touched.
And I want to be remembered for loving others and being Jesus Christ to others. I want to be kind and loving and more like Him every day.
Most importantly, I want to know and do his will. He is the way the truth and the Life and no one comes unto the Father except through Him.
Take a look at your life… Examine the yokes and pray through them so that you may be truly free! Take a moment to bow your head now and ask God to help you get rid of those yokes — you were set free a long time a go!