THINK TOGETHER
What does it mean to be free?
READ TOGETHER
One of the greatest truths about Jesus and his good news is that he sets us free from all our slavery. Now you might be thinking, "I'm not a slave." But the truth is that all of us are born as slaves. Slaves to sin, selfishness, and death. But when we receive Jesus into our heart, he sets us free from all our slavery. Sin doesn't control us anymore, we no longer have to be selfish, and we will live forever.
God sets us free so that we can love him and love others. He sets us free to serve. We are set free so that we can be servants of God and servants of one another. Here's how Peter explains it to us:
1 Peter 2:16. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
A free slave? That doesn't make any sense does it? In the old days, slaves could never do what they really wanted to do. They could only do what they were forced to do. But God wants us to know that we are totally free. Then he wants us to freely choose to obey him and serve others. To be kind and caring. To listen to the adults that he has put in charge of you.
But how do I do this? How do I learn to be a free servant?
By first remembering that you are truly free in Jesus. God loves you and is taking care of you. You no longer have to look out for your own self. Like Jesus, you don't have to fight to get what is yours, or to prove that you're always right, or always the best. Like Jesus you will live with God in Heaven forever. And all that freedom means that you are now free to choose to share, and give, and not worry about getting what you think you deserve, because you really don't deserve anything. You were set free by grace alone, not by being good. But now that you are free you can finally do good. You can finally be a servant like Jesus was.
Because of Jesus you are free.
With Jesus you can be a free servant to all.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Who can you freely serve today? What act of kindness can you perform? Not because you have to, but because you want to?
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, you use your freedom to love and serve me. Help me to do the same with my freedom today. Amen.
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