Ransomed

Most of us feel trapped by something.  Pressed down, threatened, punished... the word may be different depending on your personality, your belief system or your circumstances, but deep down, few of us are truly free.  Some of us are better at hiding it than others, even from ourselves.  Denial may be Satan's most dangerous weapon.  We tell ourselves we’re fine, in full control of our own lives and destinies, but in reality, we’re powerless, and deep down, we know it. 

Deep down, we’re imprisoned... Imprisoned by our insecurities, wracked with guilt for past mistakes, and overwhelmed with doubt that we’ll ever be good enough to truly be set free.  Deep down, we’re scared… Scared when we look at the world around us, scared when we realize we can’t always protect our loved ones, scared when we consider the future…the known challenges and even more so, the unknown ones.  Scared of what happens next…

The hard part is knowing there’s nothing we can do about it.  This world will hurt us; there’s no escaping that.  There’s no way to be smart enough, rich enough, quick enough, strong enough, brave enough, or good enough to remain unscathed.  It doesn’t matter how alert we are, how much we prepare and train, how much we WANT to be in charge of our lives…in reality, we simply aren’t.  We’re all trapped, and this prison will be our home forever if we so choose.  

“There is no one righteous, not even one.” –Romans 3:10

The good news of Easter is that we do have a choice.  We are trapped, but Jesus paid the ransom.  Some would say all we have to do is accept that gift, and I’d agree that’s THE most important part.  But I realize now that it’s just as important to take the next step and rise up out of our captivity, changing our perspective, our view of what matters and what is real.  I’ve heard of kidnapping victims learning to trust their captors and staying with them even after they’ve been set free.  Let’s not be that foolish, comfortable in our own prison. Sometimes we convince ourselves it’s easier to stay where we (falsely) feel like we’re in control, where we know what to expect, even if those expectations bring misery, shame, and uncertainty.  But God wants so much more for us.  

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” –Galations 5:1   

Let’s remember this Easter why Jesus did what He did.  It was for the same reason that a person offers ransom for a kidnapped love one.  It wasn’t for the fame or because He had to. It was because He LOVES us enough to want better for us. 

It’s up to us to want better for ourselves too. 

"...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, 

and to give His life as a ransom for many." -Matthew 20:28