Romans 7:4
That is how it is with you, my friends. You are now part of the body of Christ and are dead to the power of the Law. You are free to belong to Christ, who was raised to life so that we could serve God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I was no different from any other new college graduate. I had my sights set on getting a job, having a great place to live, and being able to afford “things.” I guess I didn’t realize that teachers are not the wealthiest professionals on the planet! But it didn’t take long before we realized that “things” were not making us happy. What truly mattered were our relationships – with others, with each other … and with God.
So we formulated a plan to “downsize” from a 1900+-square-foot, 2-bedroom house and pool to just over 1100 square feet and one bathroom! We cleaned out closets and the attic, and we had a huge garage sale and sold everything that wouldn’t fit in our “new” little house and lifestyle. In our new business venture, we helped recreational vehicle travelers (RVers) find work while they traversed North America … funding their adventures on wheels by taking jobs along the way. Many of these people sold pretty much everything they owned - lock, stock, and barrel - crawled into a tiny home on wheels and took to the road. Can I tell you something? These were some of the happiest people we’ve ever met.
Additionally, the “less is more” concept was very liberating for us, too. We’ve found that living in a small town with no malls and large department stores means we often “make do” with what we have – or can access locally – and we don’t even think about the other things. We have more time and energy to focus on things that really matter … our family and friends, ministries of our church and community, and more.
Life as a Christian is not restrictive. New life in Christ represents freedom … to serve Him in ways great and small, to focus on what is really important – and who truly matters. A life filled with good food, parties, fun times and “stuff” may seem like the high life. But I can tell you with complete certainty that we very quickly become a slave to these things … and we don’t even see it coming. Choosing to “downsize” our lives – physically, emotionally, and socially … and to give up the boundaries of what society deems the “norm” … for a life filled with a focus on Jesus and His ministries represents incredible freedom.
“But I’ve got friends!” you may say … or “What about my obligations? I have football practice and ‘Mommy and Me’ play dates and golf games or poker night …or Bunco!” or “If I spend time with my friends and take care of myself and go to school/work/club meetings, there’s not a spare minute left for anything else.” The truth is, we have become slaves to a lot of what we do presently, and “letting go and letting God” have control would be liberating in ways we can’t even imagine.
I pray that today you will take a long, hard look at your life. What has enslaved you … social commitments, “stuff”, friends who are dragging you down, an addiction of some sort … even to seemingly “good” things like exercise or a hobby? What do you need to unload in favor of more time for the “good stuff” of Jesus? Where do you need to liberate yourself to make room for Him to work?
©2010 Debbie Robus
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