7 Days Empowered by GraceSample

Day 3: This Is No Longer the Hooptie

"So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God" (Galatians 4:7, ESV).

Have you ever owned a “hooptie?” If you’re not familiar, a hooptie is a car that has seen better days—barely holding on, full of quirks and workarounds. Maybe the driver’s side door doesn’t open, so you have to climb in through the passenger side, or the window only works if you tap it just right.

I remember owning a hooptie where the power window would get stuck. To fix it, we had a system: lower it only halfway, manually pull it up, and then press the button to finish the job. It became second nature. Then, we upgraded to a new car, but for the first week, out of habit, we kept lowering the window halfway before realizing we didn’t have to do that anymore! One day, I laughed and told my wife, “Baby, this is no longer the hooptie!”

In our faith journey, we sometimes carry over old habits and ways of thinking, even though God has given us a New Identity in Christ. We live as if we are still bound when, in reality, we have been set free. Paul reminds us that we are no longer slaves but children of God, heirs through Him. That means we don’t have to live by the same limitations and struggles that once held us back.

So today, remind yourself—you are no longer in the hooptie! Stop operating with an old mindset when God has given you a New Reality. Walk in the fullness of your Identity as a child of God.

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, help me let go of old habits and walk confidently in the New Identity You’ve given me. Thank You that I am no longer bound by my past, but I am free in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.