By Ginny Chambers

So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. – John 8:36

Freedom always starts with the awareness that you’re imprisoned. You cannot overcome something you are not willing to confront. You must be willing to look at unhealthy belief systems. Some of these may have even been established by well-meaning Christians—like God only loves us when we are good. This often leads to a performance-based mentality.

Your relationship with God is never based on your own efforts to “be perfect” or by performing some sort of appearance of godliness. You can come before the Father with courage and raw honesty. Look at your life and allow God to highlight ways He desires you to grow.

I have been walking through a season where freedom has taken a new place in my own life. In 2016, just months after I was given a cancer diagnosis, my oldest daughter was arrested and charged with 20 felonies. This daughter of promise is smart and full of life. Her life was detoured after the death of her father. He was her world and her buddy.

That, in addition to mental health issues, brought about the outcome we now have to call reality. It has taken me three years to even begin to embrace the truth in the matter. Her freedom was taken away for 10+ years—talk about an unfathomable mountain! It’s true heartache, more than I am willing to accept.

My daughter was raised in a Christian, church-going family—not perfect, by any means. How could this treasured life filled with dreams of marriage and children be reduced to a cement cell with cold bars?

Personally, this has been a difficult growing experience for me as a believer in a good God. However, no circumstance or series of events ever gets by or goes unnoticed by God. As I have come to believe, He actually sets the stage for miracles to happen!

My hope for my daughter’s freedom is solely based on God’s wraparound love and mercy. Prayer definitely makes the difference. We are walking this unfamiliar path in faith and hope that the story will be for His glory. I remind her that she may be in prison, but prison is not in her. It’s all a matter of perspective, seeing with the eyes of faith, as we focus on our faithful Father.

So today, right now, are there any issues you find yourself dealing with? Have you not been able to find your path to freedom? Has something taken you captive? It could be an addiction, an unhealthy relationship or an unrealistic belief.

In Christ alone, you can find everlasting freedom. His spirit of grace and liberty desires to set you free. When you are free, you will have a deep-rooted joy that the world can never take away. Freedom has such movement that it cannot help but saturate into everything else in your life. As one believer to another, go free in Jesus’ name.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” – Romans 8:1

Ginny Chambers is an avid writer, living in the freedom of Christ. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering at LowCountry Community Church, gardening and spending time with friends.