The Israelites had just been rescued. Through an odd sequence of frogs, locusts, and some blood they find themselves watching the waters of the Red Sea swirl around the dead bodies of Pharaoh and his army. With the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey, they are anxious to see it and taste it. “And about one day later, they are complaining. They don’t like the food; they don’t like the water. The journey of freedom is too hard. They want to go back to Egypt” (Epic by John Eldredge)
The Racers walked off a plane in New York City. Through an odd sequence of squatty potties, healings (both physical and emotional), and some brokenness they find themselves walking away from Egypt and walking toward the freedom offered in their Promised Land. And my, what promises they have heard the Lord speak. About two months later (if we’re comparing ourselves with ourselves, I’d say the Racers are hanging on just a little bit longer than the Israelites) they are looking around and seeing that their generation is in Egypt. And they’ve started to think that maybe this IS the best that anyone can have. Maybe they are designed to live life struggling along enslaved by defeat and watching out for ‘yours truly’.
So has this happened to everyone coming off the race? Probably not. Has it happened to me? Yep. This journey of Freedom is dang hard. And when I don’t look into Jesus’ eyes, I quickly become distracted by what is ensnaring me and my peers. I begin to believe that the American dream is God’s dream for each of us.
I think that it’s most important to save my time and energy… for what, I couldn’t say. But I need to save myself because certainly when Jesus asked me to leave everything, take up my cross and follow Him, He only meant it as a word picture. Certainly He wouldn’t ask me to leave everything that makes me comfortable. Or if He does, He couldn’t mean give up my comfortable bed that my parents bought me for Christmas last year, or of course He doesn’t mean leave my closet full of shoes that I love (my dad counted them and I have something ridiculous like 40 pairs), and obviously He wants to make it so that I have a little bit of the control (of life, my surroundings, my time… etc).
But I’ve realized something in my long and short 3 months home…
My generation of Christians generally speaks a language of defeat… “I’m struggling with… this or that” “I don’t know what to do” “It’s just really hard to follow Jesus”
So when Jesus looks us in the eye and says through Paul “it is for freedom that Christ has
SET. YOU. FREE!”
It honestly makes us a little uncomfortable. We shift our eyes back and forth. Gazing at our addictions that make us comfortable (food, tv, sleep, friends). And then looking down this path that offers life, and that abundant. The comfort looks, well… comfortable. Freedom looks a little hazy with lots of speed bumps along the way. But also, it looks adventurous. It looks risky. But it will take all of me so that I don’t have to half-ass my way through life. I could lose everything.
but what could I gain?…..
ooooh boy, well, if I’m hearing Him correctly- I could have joy and peace in the depths of me at my disposal, any time, night or day. I could receive love without having to question it. I could walk with other people into their freedom. I could be myself (and that’s a big deal for me). All that and more…
Sometimes, I feel like my spirit looks like the face Mel Gibson is making in the picture below. It gets all worked up and angry at the defeats I’m seeing in my life and those around me and it just opens its mouth to bellow from the depths of me
FREEDOM!!!!!!!
Today. Tomorrow. and for the rest of my life, Freedom!
