You’ve been set free!
If you’ve ever been in debt (or known someone who has), you know the impact it has on a person. When you’re in debt, your money, time, or resources aren’t your own—they’re continuously being taken from you, and often with interest.
No one wants to be enslaved to a lender, and yet—every one of us has owed a debt we could never pay off.
The ancient Greek word for “sin” means “to miss the mark.” It was originally used to describe an archer’s arrow that didn’t hit the center target. In archery, it didn’t matter whether your arrow was close to the mark or far from it. If you didn’t hit the center, you lost.
In Scripture, the “mark” is the standard God asks us to aim for—but we all miss it. We miss it when we choose selfishness over humility, and anger over gentleness. We miss it when we lie, cheat, steal, slander, complain, and gossip. We miss it when we tear people down, and disobey God’s command to love others. Sin prevents us from becoming the people God created us to be.
But the good news is: Jesus saved each of us by sacrificing Himself for our mistakes. We couldn’t pay off our debt of sin in a million lifetimes, but He freed us from it in one moment.
And because He paid our debt, He wants us to live as free people.
When we pursue anything that separates us from God’s Spirit—whether through legalistic actions or lawless decisions—we act like Jesus hasn’t set us free. But when we choose to love others like Jesus loved us, it shows we value Jesus’ sacrifice and want to embrace the freedom He bought for us.
So how do we live free?
We accept that what Jesus did was enough for us, and then we commit to loving Him.
As our love for God grows, His Spirit helps us unconditionally love others. Instead of holding a grudge, the Spirit helps us forgive. Instead of hurting someone, the Spirit helps us encourage people. Instead of using people, the Spirit inspires us to humbly serve.
The more we love, the more we embrace our freedom—and because of God’s love, nothing can take our freedom away.
Finding Your Purpose
The story of Esther is a powerful testimony.
It tells about Esther, who risked her life in order to save the people of God from danger. Esther faced the decision between what was easy and what was difficult, and she chose the more difficult way because it was the right thing to do.
Esther 4:14 points out that Esther’s purpose in life was tied to this very moment. She was crafted and shaped by God in order to fulfill His purposes in her generation. She was placed in this unique situation by God.
While most of us might not be servants in the house of a king, or a queen, we all have difficult decisions to make. Every day we are faced with situations that have easy answers, and some that are especially challenging.
The story of Esther teaches us that God has gifted each of us for a specific purpose. Even though the journey isn’t always easy, God promises to be with us as we follow the path He’s called us to.
Additionally, Esther did not accomplish her purpose alone. She ...