Love is Freedom

There is freedom and humility in the truth that we are filthy sinners, that God is and has pruned our areas of sin in His time, that we haven’t changed overnight and we will, in all honesty, never have it all together. These truths allow us to stop striving for something impossible in and of our own efforts.

Taking all that a step further and applying the same grace we have received in our journey to everyone else (no matter what judgement our sinful selves want to impose against them) is compassion, is mercy, is Christ like. Everyone else is not under our authority, not on our time line, no one having the exact same life experiences, trials, etc. that we have/do–and certainly not to be compared to or governed by ourselves, as if we are the measuring stick for righteousness.

The fact is, none of us are worthy…not one. Living under the assumption that we can be good enough or smart enough or perfect enough as a result of self is a scheme of the enemy. It’s bondage keeping us focused on self and running on the hamster wheel of striving. This can be fertile ground for breeding self-righteousness in success and condemnation in any result other than success.

It’s difficult to encourage and lift others up if we are critical of who they are or where they are. While we label others in judgement, the truth is…we are carrying sin, living in bondage just the same. Everyone needs to be afforded the freedom of learning and growing and being refined–in God’s time, just as we have.

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. Galatians 5:1

20140827