"Because He Said So! Discovering who the I AM says I am"

The I AM says I am free!

“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36

Growing up I always had an earlier curfew than any of my friends. My daddy was really over protective of me and he wanted me home early. In actuality he would have preferred that I not go out at all. He liked his chickens in their nest. So, when my friends and I had big plans for our weekend, which generally included cruising around Cloverleaf Mall, I stayed at someone else’s home, where there was a little more freedom. Going into my senior year I decided to ask my daddy to extend my curfew to midnight. I was nervous about the conversation, but one night at dinner I posed the question. With tears in his eyes, he removed the restrictions of a curfew altogether asking only that I let my mother and him know where I was going to be, whom I was going to be with, and what time to expect me. WOW! I felt such freedom in that. I felt like such a “grown up” when I told people that I didn’t have a curfew. Finally, the taste of freedom!

Freedom means different things at different stages of life. When we are toddlers, we want to be free from our parents’ laps to roam and explore. As teenagers we want to be free to come and go with our friends without the restraints of a curfew. As young adults, we want to be free from being dependent on our parents as we strive to “make it on our own”. And, as older adults we want to be free from debt, stress, and the demands of this world.

We came in to this world as sinners and the wages of sin is death. And while we were sinners, Christ came and paid the price. His gift of grace is the ransom that sets us free. Yet Satan tries to use our transgressions to rob us of our freedom by holding us enslaved to our mistakes, captive to our strongholds, and hostage to our sins. These sins become the chains that weigh us down. We feel guilt, shame, and condemnation. We literally keep ourselves prisoners of our past. But Christ sets us free from the shackles of sin. He releases us from the bondage of shame. And as our spotlight scripture says, “Whom the Son has set free is free indeed!” So why do we live like the chicken who, when tied to a post for a week and then let free, remains positioned as if the restraint is still there. We need to live like we are free!

Freedom in Christ means that we are unrestricted to be all that we were created to be. It means fearless living. It means doing crazy things just because our Heavenly Father calls us to it…like boldly sharing stories of abuse and pain knowing it will help someone else. It means telling the tales of brokenness to the broken. It means writing the tough story or song about God’s rescue and deliverance. It means reaching out to someone when you feel that prompting from the Spirit even if you don’t feel like it. For me it has meant letting go of caring what other people think and doing what I never imagined I would do - like starting an online group for women of faith or writing 40 days of who we are in Christ. It means living boldly! 2 Corinthians 3:12 reminds us, “Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.”

God tells Moses in Exodus 7:16, “Then say to him (Pharaoh), 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness.” Ladies, we are free; free to worship Him and live out our purpose! Let's run toward our calling like our hair is on fire! So today, when it feels like you are imprisoned by your imperfections and restrained by your regrets, lift your hands in praise and proclaim, “I am free…because He said so!”

Additional Verses: Psalm 142:7; Isaiah 52:1-2; John 8:3-11; Matthew 27:17, 26

Dear Lord,

I praise You today for all that You are; You are the Creator of the Universe, the King of kings and Lord of lords. You are the I AM! I know that You created me on purpose for a purpose. I am who You say I am. The enemy wants to hold me back from living out the calling You have placed on my life. Lord, saturate my mind with the truth of Your Word so that I may remember that my identity is found in You and only You. Remind me throughout the day, when the world comes tumbling in, that You are in control. Reveal Your will in my life as I only want to please You. No matter how difficult my day becomes I will remember that I can do all things through You (Phil 4:13). In Jesus' name. Amen