Freedom

Day 4, Identity

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 (ESV)

              Ty transferred into my class a few weeks after the school year began. He was older than the rest of the students by two years and immediately assumed the position as class clown. Regularly he avoided his work and made excuses for not completing tasks.

Ty was the first one out the door for P.E., recess, and lunch and the last one to come inside. He loved the outdoors and caught what seemed like a second wind whenever he exited a building. Sometimes he’d pick a bouquet of dandelions and twirl in circles blowing the seeds in all directions. Other times he’d gather a pile of leaves, pick them up, and throw them into the wind, chasing them across the play yard. He seemed so alive. And free.

Fast forward. Ty ended up in my class in a different grade at a different school. When he walked into my classroom, I hugged him immediately. It’d been two years since I’d seen him last. His grandma would rent a place and then move after a few months when she couldn’t pay the bills. After I hugged him, I looked into his face. The innocence and joy he once possessed were gone. Dark circles loomed under his vivid blue eyes and anger replaced his once joyous presence.

Instead of being silly and clowning around in class, he became a bully, pushing other kids around. He started fights at P.E. and was suspended from the bus more than he was able to ride it. No one wanted to be in his group and Ty isolated himself from everyone in the class.

One day before P.E. I asked him to stick around a few extra minutes so we could talk. He slouched in his desk, arms crossed, and avoided eye contact. I told him about the boy he used to be and how filled with joy he once was. He held the tears as long as he could until they leaked down his face.

“I hate school. I hate my life. I hate always having to move.”

I let the quietness linger.

“Mrs. Christy, I can’t read.”

“I know, Ty. I’ve known that for a long time. I’d love to help you learn.”

“Grandma will just move me before you can help me.”

I knew he was right. But that didn’t stop me from trying.

For the next eight weeks, I created a specialized plan fueled with sight words, early readers, and extension activities. Ty worked hard and I saw great progress taking place. Every now and then I caught glimpses of the old child he used to be and it fueled my hope that maybe I could make a difference.

Then one Friday he came into class dragging his bookbag. “Today’s my last day. Grandma is moving us this weekend. I don’t wanna move again.”

I opened my arms and he melted into my embrace. “I’m so sorry, Ty. I wish you didn’t have to leave either.”

I’ve never seen Ty since that day, but the reality of his existence broke my heart. No stability. No consistent parenting. And no hope for change.

The New Testament mentions freedom often and this freedom only comes through faith in Christ Jesus. It’s a freedom that results from Jesus taking our place on the cross. He died for our sins so we can live freely. The guilt is gone; so is the shame. Fear is cast aside and newness of life overflows into every area of our hearts. This freedom is found only in Christ alone.

Do the Heart Work

1.      What does it mean to be free?

2.      In what ways do you still need freedom?

3.      What obstacles stand in the way of freedom?

Digging Deeper            

Read these verses from Galatians 5.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?  This persuasion is not from him who calls you.  A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Galatians 5:1, 7-15 (ESV)

The Old Testament believers followed the law of God. They were required to make certain sacrifices and follow the rules. Legalism ran rampant and many Jews were bound by the heavy yoke of requirements and expectations.

Then Jesus came. He didn’t change the law, he fulfilled it. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins so we no longer had the debt. He made it possible for us to approach him any time instead of once a year. He gave us a new type of freedom: a freedom from tasks and practices. Jesus offered us freedom from sin and a personal relationship with himself.

If You Get Spare Time 

              Think about the weight that my student Ty carried. He had no consistency or friends because of the regular moves. He also had no self-worth due to his inability to read. The weight of not measuring up hung heavy around his neck. No joy. No peace.

              We too allow the weight of this world to keep us enslaved. Examine your heart today. Do you feel like you are still in shackles? Are you trapped by expectations, legalism, or fear? What do you need to lay down at Jesus’ feet in order to experience true freedom?