"Again"

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. 

Stand firm then,

and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." 

Gal 5:1

In September I made a goal to memorize Ephesians 5. I started strong, but around verse seven I got side tracked and never came back. The first verse still swirls inside my head.

I often need reminding to stand firm in the freedom of Christ, but its the word "again" that stops me in my tracks.

Do not be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 

It's the again in me that needs reminding.

There are so many snares in this life. And I'm not just talking about obvious things that are harmful. I'm talking about the things that steal my focus and pull me away from the loveliest place of all: freedom in Christ.

I live with two teenagers. We talk quite a bit about "turning our eyes from worthless things" and actively pursuing the life God gives. But do I choose well? Do I walk in the freedom set before me? Or do I burden myself, again, by the yoke of distraction, indifference, and discontent.

The truth is, sometimes I do choose well (if the moment is perfect and the day is right.) But often I choose the harder yoke. I thought that getting older would lend to easier choosing, but it seems the Christian life is always a struggle. I think it's meant to be.

The hardest thing about being enslaved, to anything other than Christ, is that it isn't like being kidnapped against your will. It's more like setting yourself in a room that gradually loses light. Eventually your eyes get used to darkness.

This is why I love this Gal 5:1 (and really the whole chapter): It's the "again" that grabs my heart and turns on the light. What's more it reminds me of my truest Love, and points me back in the right direction: freedom in Christ.