Yoke of Slavery
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
We are either free in Christ or we are in bondage through a yoke of slavery. Many Christians are aware of their bondage while others think they are free in Christ yet in reality are bound. For everyone born of God overcomes the world. (1 John 5:4) If we haven’t overcome the world through Christ then are we still in bondage?
Christians who know they are in bondage are most likely fighting for their freedom in Christ. These bondages may fall into the category of addictions to alcohol, drugs, pornography, eating, or shopping. Christians, however, may be unaware that they are in bondage to fear, or to their security source, or to self.
Fear is Satan’s most powerful weapon. God is love and Satan is fear because fear is the opposite of love. Love draws us outward toward God and others, while fear tends to draw us inward away from God and others. Fear may make us inactive in seeking to minister to lost souls through the Spirit. We may ignore the Spirit’s calling to an unfamiliar ministry because fear causes us to feel unqualified, or uncomfortable. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13) Christ will never call us to do anything we are incapable of doing. Whatever the Spirit calls us to do, we can rest assured that we can do it through study and through Christ in us. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:2)
The source of our security may be something other than God. It could be money, our job, or our possessions. It is possible to live the Christian life without recognizing that money is our primary security. No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24). How will we ever know that our security is in money if we are financially stable? A financial crisis may reveal this misplaced trust. Pray and ask God to show you where your security lies, whether it is totally in him or partly in God and partly in money. .
We can also be slaves to ourselves. Our own spiritual warfare may actually be me against God. If we make all or most of our choices without prayer then we have become our own gods. If we live each day without serving the Lord and yet turn in prayer to Him for help, then we are attempting to make God our servant. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5) We may tell ourselves that we trust the Lord, but too often we lean on our own understanding. As we go through our day we should ask ourselves, “Am I serving me or am I serving God?”
Today, be aware of anything that is making you a slave and keeping you from being free in Christ. Commune with the Lord and depend on Him to guide you through the day with His love and wisdom. When we seek the Lord’s guidance, He gives us His wisdom, His patience, and His confidence. And He gives us a heart filled with His love.
Prayer: I pray that You will guide me in the Spirit to be free in Christ. Reveal to me the things which enslave me; things which take priority above serving you. Lord, you know me better than I know myself and you know what I need to be more Christ-like. I surrender my life to You that I might be free in Christ and overcome the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.