End It
Each year, the world joins hands to take a stand against modern slavery with the End It Movement. When asked why I wore a red “x” on my hand, I explained that there are currently women being held in prostitution rings and children being chained to labor, but sadly, we thought the days of slavery were over. Truthfully though, we’ve turned a blind eye and just stopped looking.
It all got me thinking. You know, many of us are slaves to sin. We choose the lure of lust, bitter behaviors, arrogant attitudes instead of love, peace, and joy with others. We turn a blind eye to rated ‘R’ movies, a man on the corner with his hand out, and gossip that fuels our sickness for satire. We get greedy with our money, label others by their sins, and pronounce glory on ourselves in a prideful job well done. We are slaves to sin. We clash against the chains, struggling in a stronghold, fighting for freedom from this sin that enslaves our hearts.
In silence there is safety—safety from potential prosecution or pain from the backlash, safety from the danger of facing a difficult truth: that the quiet, close-knit Christian community could be cruel, cowardly, and lawless. And yet, despite our wishes, history is full of cruelty, cowardice, and lawlessness. Nowadays, though, we are not so much silent as talking loudly about anything that will help us avoid being the target. We suffer under a conspiracy of misdirection. Satan is sliding in through the backdoor, and we miss the carpet being pulled from underneath our feet.
This isn’t about ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ but about the Truth that as slaves to anything, we cannot be fully free. We war against the box of cookies that keeps showing up in the cupboard, the gym membership buried in our mind, the word ‘yes’ that slips out when everything in us says ‘no’, the negative thoughts that materialize into words, the lack of generosity for others’ needs, the pride in ourselves that crushes compassion for others. The triumphalist rhetoric, instead, lets us—tells us to—look away.
May I encourage you on this day not to wait another second dismissing bondage under a cloak of grace. Release the beast, so that you can experience the fullness of His Spirit! I don’t want to be bound to the empty life this kind of slavery is destined for. My captivity to sin is a choice. Jesus came to set me free from the burden of this kind of slavery. No more laboring. No more pleasing. I am free. Heavenly Father, release the fullness of your Spirit on us. Strengthen our hearts and minds in the midst of any fear and press into our hearts, increasing our desire for even more freedom. I’m thanking you in advance, Lord, for what you’ve already done and what’s about to happen in us. Amen!