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RETURNING TO FREEDOM
Jesus doesn’t ask us to work harder for Him, He wants us to simply be with Him. He tells us in Matthew 11:30, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Yet, if you’re like me, you struggle to believe that devotion to God isn’t about your own strength or righteousness. It’s not about how “good” you appear to others looking in.
When Jesus talked to the religious leaders of His day, He said:
You make God’s law to mean nothing so you can keep your own laws!
You are not true to yourselves! What Isaiah said about you was true. He said,
“These people respect me with their mouth but their heart is far from me.
They do not mean it in their hearts when they worship me. Their teachings are only the words of men.” (Matthew 15:6-9)
These religious leaders were so focused on appearing to be good that their hearts were far from God. They couldn’t see the Savior right in front of them.
If we rely on our own ability to get everything right, we are not relying on the goodness of our Savior. If we are more concerned about rules than having a loving, committed, connected, abiding relationship with Jesus, then we are listening to our own voice, not His.
When we give Jesus our legalism, then we move out of a place of judgment and condemnation and into a place of seeing the world with eyes of mercy. We stop trying to be everybody else’s Holy Spirit, and we live our lives authentically, humbly, and sincerely, with the Lord at the center.
When we release the judgment in our hearts, we go beyond the prying eyes looking out at an unjust, corrupt world. Instead, we seek to empathize, to listen, and to understand. We walk as Jesus walked. We become reflections of His goodness on Earth. We become vessels of His love.
That means we treat others like Jesus did: with compassion, love, mercy, gentleness, and kindness. Instead of harboring self-righteous thoughts, we offer grace and loving hands to pick up our neighbor who has fallen. We remember all Jesus has done for us and we long to share with others a taste of the sweet grace that has nourished our soul.
Why does letting go of legalism in our own lives free us to offer grace to others?
About this Plan
Deep in our souls, we know we were created for more. More than hurried days, rushed conversations, and the never-ending scroll on our phones. This more we long for is greater intimacy with God. And every day, in every way, Jesus reaches out a hand and invites us to experience His abundant life. His kingdom here on Earth. This week’s devotional offers guidance in accepting that beautiful invitation.
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