- You Are Not Alone (with Depression & Anxiety)
- Depression Does Not Define You
- What Does Depression Look Like?
- 10 Encouraging Bible Verses to Ease Depression
- Navigating Tough Parenting of Teens: When Your Daughter Wants to Dye Her Hair Blue
- How to Manage Depression and Chronic Pain
- Truths About Depression: Stuff You Don’t Want to Hear
- I Got Punched in the Face This Weekend
- Straight Talk About How to Survive Heartbreaking Grief
- For a Day When You Need Motivation
- Sometimes Grief Comes From Unexpected Places
- For Parents of a Teen Who Had a Near Miss
- 10 Simple Ways to Bring Creativity to Your Life
- A Depression Solution: Speak!
- Q & A with a Therapist about Depression
- 4 Realistic Steps to Motivation When You Are Depressed {Based on Research!)
- How To Get In A Good Mood When Depressed
- Is it Okay to Avoid Pain?
- How Can I Serve If I’m Depressed?
- Do You Have Angry Depression?
- A Room Full of Love: Thoughts After a Loved One’s Suicide
- Top 5 Offbeat I’m Depressed and Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now Movies
- What You Need to Know about Postpartum Depression
- Why You Need More Mental Flexibility
- How To Stop Stress Eating
- How to Exercise When You Don’t Feel Like It – 10 Workout Motivation Tips
- A Cure for Panic Attacks: The Potato Chip Method
- Can’t Sleep? Read This at 3:00 AM (When Depression Causes Insomnia)
- Secondary Traumatic Stress: How I Found Healing
- You Were Set Free For a Reason: A Daily Devotion about Freedom in Christ
- If You Write, Please Read This. (Plus, a FREE GIFT for All!)
How can you live in freedom in Christ? Do you believe God has set you free, yet you don’t feel that freedom in daily life? Read on to claim that freedom that is yours today in Jesus.
What Does Freedom in Christ Mean in Galatians 5:1?
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1
For freedom Christ has set us free.
That phrase has always seemed like some sort of backwards explanation to me, like using a word in the definition. What on earth does that mean, Paul (writer of the book of Galatians)?
I’ve been studying this, because I desperately want freedom in my life.
Freedom in Christ means living a life without slavery, sin, bondage, and places in life where I am broken. How is this possible in our earthly life?
How Can I Be Free According to the Bible?
Do you want freedom?
I’ve spent the last month writing daily about the topic of depression. I gotta say, who picked this topic? (Oh yeah, me.)
A whole month of talking, writing, and thinking about depression has been tough. It’s depressing.
One of my favorite quotes about writing:
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down to a typewriter and bleed.
Earnest Hemingway, 1899-1961
Perhaps the greatest discovery for me along this month’s journey is the freedom God has granted me from some of my depression, and eyes wide open about the healing I still need to work through.
I’ve made progress, but I’m not there yet.
Living the Christian life means living in the now and the not yet. We live with a constant tension. We see the goodness and hope God provides. We are forgiven. We have freedom!
Yet we are fully aware of our broken, sinful condition.
- We fall back into the same pet sins, asking for forgiveness then turning around and committing the same mistake over again.
- We deal with sickness, pain, heartache, and death.
- Life rarely goes according to plan and doesn’t feel like it’s on our favor.
The now and not yet creates a continual tension. We know there is more, and we long for it.
How to Claim Your Free Life in Jesus
Galatians 5:1 has an amazing truth for you today, and it is this:
The reason you are set free is because God wants you to live in freedom.
You ARE set free. Not — you will someday be free. You ARE free.
The work is already done by Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection. If you are still living in slavery, that’s your mistake.
There’s no quick solution to this continual tension. For me, taking my thoughts captive, reading Bible verses about freedom, and using Christian affirmations have been significant in reminding me daily of the freedom that is mine.
Allow me to remind you of the truth that is yours to claim today.
You ARE free.
You are free from depression. You are free from anxiety. You are free from sin. You are free from doubts. You are free from guilt and shame. You are free from temptation.
You are free.
Live free.
What’s stopping you?
The Hope Toolbox
Today’s Bible Verse
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1
Today’s Journaling Prompt
In what ways are you living free? In what ways are you still living in slavery? How can that change?
- You Are Not Alone
- Depression Does Not Define You
- What Does Depression Look Like?
- 10 Encouraging Bible Verses to Ease Depression
- When Your Daughter Wants to Dye Her Hair Blue
- How to Manage Depression and Chronic Pain
- Truths About Depression: Stuff You Don’t Want to Hear
- I Got Punched in the Face This Weekend
- Straight Talk About How to Survive Heartbreaking Grief
- For a Day When You Need Motivation
- Sometimes Grief Comes From Unexpected Places
- For Parents of a Teen Who Had a Near Miss
- 10 Simple Ways to Bring Creativity to Your Life
- A Depression Solution: Speak!
- Q & A with a Therapist about Depression
- Research Shows 4 Keys to Motivation When You Are Depressed
- 101 Ways to Boost Your Mood Immediately
- Is it Okay to Avoid Pain?
- How Can I Serve If I’m Depressed?
- Do You Have Angry Depression?
- A Room Full of Love: Thoughts After a Loved One’s Suicide
- Top 5 Offbeat I’m Depressed and Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now Movies
- What You Need to Know about Postpartum Depression
- Why You Need More Mental Flexibility
- How to Eat Healthy When You Don’t Feel Like It
- How to Exercise When You Don’t Feel Like It
- A Cure for Panic Attacks: The Potato Chip Method
- Can’t Sleep? Read This at 3:00 AM
- Do You Have Secondary Traumatic Stress?
- You Were Set Free For a Reason
- If You Write, Please Read This. (Plus, a FREE GIFT for All!)
Thank you for giving me the honor of sharing this post via my 31 Days post Love Writes Community. Finally getting a chance to comment. It’s a good reminder to keep seeking after His freedom, even when it hurts. Thank you for your important series. I am sure it will be a blessing to many.
Thank you so much for sharing! I am honored.