The night before last, we did an exercise called “Stand up for your sister” during our women’s time. I was so pumped when I heard we were doing this as it is the exercise that started the journey to immense freedom in my life. For those of you who have never done this, basically you anonymously answer questions from a questionnaire about things that you’ve been through in life. Then the entire group shuffles the papers and trades so the nobody knows whose paper they have, someone reads the questions aloud and if the person whose paper you have answered yes to the question, you stand up in their place. It’s an exercise in the powerful “me too.” It’s a very tangible way to know that you are not alone in the things that you’ve been through. Stand up for your sister then incited a three hour conversation amongst all of the women on my squad. Throughout this conversation chains were broken, light was shown in the darkness, and lies the enemy told us that kept our burdens in the dark were smashed by truth. This night brought so. much. freedom. When we got to ministry the next morning, one of the men on our squad said, “I don’t know what happened to y’all last night, but dang, keep it going.”
Before ministry everyday, we have what is called Amad time. This basically means that we worship together as a squad and then spend an hour of quiet time with the Lord. During squad worship, we further discussed this freedom that the Lord offers. Freedom and community have been big themes in my life in the last couple of years. Learning to leave our burdens at the foot of the cross, and truly walk in freedom isn’t easy. It’s hard to readjust your life and to figure out how to live without carrying those things that you are so used to carrying, but Jesus wants them. You weren’t made to carry them. The cross is the only place powerful enough to handle them. By continuing to pick them back up, or to not lay them down for fear of figuring out how to live life without them, you essentially tell God that what Jesus did on the cross wasn’t enough.
Sometimes, when we confess our sins, we assume that life as we know it will explode, that those we tell will never look at us the same, and that the people we love will leave if they know. Those are lies. Yes, God will call you higher when you invite his light into your darkness, but the reality is you will probably receive more “me too’s” and love than you expect. That’s commUNITY. Freedom is such a beautiful thing, but it isn’t always easy to get up every morning and walk in the freedom the Lord offers. It truly is a daily choice. You have to be active in combating the lies the enemy will try to throw at you and decide to avoid your triggers and defeat the sin hand in hand with Jesus and your community.
The beauty of community is that we are all in different places. Some have knowledge that others need. Some people are on step ten of walking in freedom from a struggle while some are on step zero. It’s our duty and responsibility as family in Christ to usher each other to the throne room of our King and walk with each other in solidarity through our struggles. It’s such a high honor to do so. To be let into someone else’s story is incredibly humbling, and more than that, walking with each other through the crap of life and into freedom is a privilege I, personally, will never take for granted. So be bold, my friends. Make the decision to walk in freedom. Choose truth. Buy in to community. Believe the best in people, and let them help you through. Believe that you are not a burden to those around you. Let’s usher each other into the light, and shine it across the world. Abundant life is ours through Christ. (John 10:10) Don’t ever forget that, live it loud.
