WE ARE ALL SLAVES, SO WHAT DO WE DO?
‘Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free — not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past.’ Galatians 5:1
I recently watched a show called Hunters on Amazon Prime. I’ve always had an interest in History, one of my only above “C” grades in high school. Plus, I’m an Al Pacino super fan.
I won’t spoil anything about the show. But, here’s a quick overview to get the jist. The show is about Jews who survived the Nazi concentration camps who now live in America. Unfortunately, many Nazi leaders from these same concentrations camps also fled to America. This is where the story begins. Jews hunting Nazi’s in Manhattan in the 60’s. What — a — story!
What hit me the most from this show was the reminder of slavery. The reminder of how the Jews, human beings like you and me were treated.
Day after day the misery they went through for NO F’N reason. What they saw in those camps. The children who were forever separated from their families. The husband and wives who watched each other die in concentration camps. Any love or hope that was forged was quickly massacred. This was slavery in every form; physical, mental and spiritual.
I still can’t fathom the daily haunting of slavery. The screams of pain. The nightmares of fear. The mental prison that would forever haunt them.
That was war and that was the concentration camps. But, we also have to remember the Jews were enslaved and taken over many times in history.
In Exodus, the passover was born. It was born in the midst of extreme pain, fear and persecution from the Egyptians. We don’t have all the details during this time — but you can bet the Egyptians were operating under similar evil.
This brings me to Galatians 5:1. Paul writes to the church in Galatia and reminds them that Christ has set them free from slavery.
You and I may have never been a slave in a physical sense. However, we sure as hell have been a slave in our mind and ultimately our actions.
It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them. — Epictetus
Yes, Christ set us free — but free from what? What in your life today are you “free” from? It’s a good question to ask yourself. Over time it’s very easy for you and I to make decisions based on a “slave’ mentality. We may not make “slave” type decisions every day — but they do and will come.
Many of us are slaves to our desires and wants. In this day in age, we see something — we want it. You may scroll through Instagram and feel the need to buy things, want things, or feel as if what you have is not good enough.
Christ wants us to think free and ultimately act free. Check out what John Piper has to say about this.
“So your enjoyment of freedom is much more important to God than many of the day-to-day decisions that fill us with so much concern. A good test of your priorities in life would be whether you are just as concerned about the command to enjoy your freedom as you are about other pressing decisions in your life. Do you exercise as much diligence in prayer and study to stand fast in freedom as you do to decide about home, job, school, marriage partner?”
Before we head out to our day, here’s some final thoughts on how I manage this process.
I’ve been a slave to my desires. I can easily look at those around me and feel a slave to what “I don’t have” or “what I haven’t achieved”. However, I can’t live my life as if I’m in a concentration camp in my mind. I have to believe that what I have and what I am doing now — is pure FREEDOM.
I can’t let fear set in about what has been taken from me or what was lost while I was a slave. I must press on toward those things which are ahead (Philippians 3:14). I must use that past pain to propel me toward my future.
And, I believe you can also do the same.
If you are fearful in your mind, you must exchange those thoughts with what God says about you. Also, be mindful of triggers. A trigger can be a music, films or people who trigger you back to a slave mentality. Stay far, far away from them. Reverting back to old patterns and habits will keep you a slave and will kill you.
You are alive right now — free. So, go with that.
Let’s pray:
Jesus, thank you for reminding us that we are free. I am alive and grateful for what today has to offer. My mind is free. I am no longer a slave. Help me see the future you have for me. Whatever is holding me back, I ask you to get it off me. I want to move forward in all you have for me. Amen.
