These Are Never Locked

Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. Exodus 34:21

Paul wrote: You were bought by Christ at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. 1 Corinthians 7:23

REFLECTION:
It is funny to me how, for a people who would say we value freedom above all else, we willingly allow ourselves to become slaves to our schedules, our jobs, or others' expectations of us.

However, these are shackles that have no key, because they are never locked. Like the play handcuffs you can buy as a gag gift, they easily slip on an off.

Certainly, many of us need to work to help provide for the needs of our families; but do we need to work the amount of hours we do? Or can we be free of the need to over-perform?

Certainly, many of us like keeping busy and feeling productive and active; but do we need to fill every spare second in our schedules with busy-ness? Or can we be free from the need to be on the move always?

Certainly, no one minds the accolades from others when meeting or exceeding their expectations of us; but do we need to drive ourselves crazy making sure that our superiors, or whoever else, say nice things about us?

Certainly...there are many things other than jobs, schedules, and expectations that make us feel trapped...

But the truth of the Gospel is that we are free...and not just in a political sense.

We are free from having to be "good enough" for anyone (including ourselves) because we have already been declared worthy of love.

We are free from having to justify our existence because we have already been declared "good" by the One who spoke the world into existence.

We are free from having to over-perform, because it turns out who we are even when we are not producing anything is still beautiful...

PRAYER:
God, we rarely rest securely in who you made us to be. We rarely live free from all the things that we think hold us bound. Remind us today that there is no key to these shackles we put on ourselves. Free us to live more like Christ lived, and love more like Christ loved. Free us to be who you created us to be. Amen.