I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
True Freedom is Here
Everyone thinks about freedom differently. Most people would say freedom is a virtue that should be sought, but that idea changes depending on how it’s defined.
A lot of people think freedom is the absence of restraints. We are truly free when we are free from things that hold us back. Others define freedom by our human will—if we can choose what we want, then we can be free.
These ideas are a bit different from what we find in Scripture. According to God’s Word, freedom is found wherever God is found. Freedom is found when we live according to God’s original design for our life.
When we begin our life with Jesus, He gives us a new heart and way to live. He also sends the Spirit of God to live within us. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:17 that wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is true freedom. That means all of us who believe in Jesus have access to this freedom.
Freedom doesn’t come from doing whatever we want but from living according to the Spirit of God who lives within us.
Paul goes on to say that those of us who belong to the Lord should spend time in God’s presence. It’s only when we sit with God daily that we are transformed by Him. Through God’s Word and talking with Him, we have access to true life transformation and true freedom.
Can you identify one or two things that are holding you back from living this way? It may be an unresolved conflict or a recurring sin. Whatever it is, spend some time with God today, asking for forgiveness and seeking out your next steps. Spend time in His presence through prayer and reading Scripture. Your life will be transformed if you continue to spend time with the only One who can thoroughly change you.
Dying to Live
Dying to ourselves can feel like a bad thing. Most people want to exalt, applaud, and promote themselves.
But in God’s kingdom, dying to ourselves is essential.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.”
Galatians 2:20 NIV
A lump of clay cannot become a work of art unless it is shaped into something else. A container of paint cannot be used for a masterpiece unless it is first poured out. A carbon deposit must change in order to become a diamond. A caterpillar must give up its old way of life in order to become a magnificent butterfly.
The invitation to die is actually an invitation to live.
When we give our lives to God, we’re choosing to surrender our plans, our desires, and our gifts. And that can be hard. But we also know there is something better—and Someone better—on the other side.
God can realign our plans, reshape ...
