“Free” – John 8:36

Jesus is telling the Jewish believers that the Truth will set them free. 

True freedom is not just the freedom to do, but the freedom not to do those things that destroy a person. People today are in bondage because of the lies of Satan.

As a teenager, I worked at Six Flags, and back then there was a Petting Zoo with goats, sheep, rabbits, sea lions to feed, and a two-year-old, two-ton elephant.  Part of my job was to care for the elephant.  Feeding, washing, and playing with her each morning and afternoon. Since elephants are always swaying back and forth, I had to stay alert.

 

The Veterinarian shared a story about a man who, as he was passing some elephants, suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains. It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

 

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” the trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller, we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they could not, they were stuck right where they were.

 

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something or stop doing something, simply because we failed at it once before? We can each relate to this story and the feeling of having failed at something or another over the years. Over time, we can begin to think that we are not capable of doing a particular thing or breaking free of a sinful habit and we accept this as the truth and limit ourselves to a very confined world. 

 

So, do not limit yourself to a small world. Stop confining yourself to a life that is restricted. Break free of your mental boundaries, embrace the Truth that Jesus can set you free, and expand out into the magnificent life of enjoying God’s grace!  You can do anything with the power of Christ. Go on, just try it and never mind what the outcome is, just embrace every experience you encounter (good or difficult) as an opportunity to exercise your freedom in the Truth of Jesus Christ.

 

You will never know how far you can go in your walk with Jesus, until you have the courage to do it! And if you fall, just get up again remembering that Christ loves you more than you can imagine.