Oh, how often we find ourselves locked in bondage to something.

Of course, we never plan on getting chained to the thing that now holds us. No…we go into it with open eyes, determined to lean into our will power, our knowledge, our ability to walk away.

Instead, we end up in chains. Locked into our misery. Watching our destiny, our promised land, get farther and farther away as we struggle to swim with heavy shackles around our ankles.

We know what it does to us. We feel ashamed. We feel like failures. We know it has us in its grip. We feel ashamed. Yet, we cannot break free.

And oh, the irony, as we realize that this is symbolic of the life we held before Christ found us. Before He offered us mercy, grace, unconditional love and acceptance. This is symbolic of the life we held before Christ released all our shackles and set us free!

How we miss the complete freedom! Yet, we make excuses for how we have walked back into our old ways, our old life, our old habits.

And then we accuse ourselves. We beat ourselves. We begin to believe that we were never meant for freedom. We were never meant for forgiveness. We were never meant to taste the lightness of walking without chains.

And the more we berate ourselves, the more the enemy throws on the heavier chains of guilt, shame, and failure – only adding to the weight of the sinful chains we find ourselves already carrying.

Have you been there? Are you there now? If you have accepted Christ as Savior, you are forgiven. You are free. You are no longer a slave to sin. It cannot hold you any longer. You are no longer condemned, either. Do not allow the lies of the enemy to take your freedom, your destiny, your promised land. Christ is strong enough to free you from the sin that keeps you in bondage.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

If you do not know Christ, but understand the weight of sinfulness, the weight of guilt, shame, and fear – you can be set free!

Christ died for you, for all your sin, for all your guilt, for all your shame. Why? Because He loved you and thought your life was worth dying for. And then, He rose from the grave and conquered death and hell. Call on Him. He will hear. He will forgive. He will free you from the burden. He will let you go free.

“..if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” Romans 10:9-10