“For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

Slaves to Ourselves

Slavery was an accepted part of life in ancient times, but it was different from the way we think of slavery.

Slaves were often the spoils of war, with conquering nations skimming off the best of the conquered society.

Slaves were physicians, lawyers, or politicians, and it was mutually beneficial when teachers were put to work educating the master’s children.

Many were able to earn money enough to purchase their freedom, while others were set free in the

Jubilee year. But as long they were slaves they had to obey their masters. We like to think of ourselves as free individuals, but the truth is that we may often enslave ourselves by our inability to forgive others or ourselves. We can become slaves to addictions, to drugs, alcohol, or junk food. We may become slaves to our work, to the love of money and success, to pleasure, or to fear. Jean-Jaques Rousseau once said, “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.” But when we abide in God’s love we become new creatures. We are released from the chains of the world, and are set free to become all that God created us to be, and our potential is not wasted.

lhart@gwi.net