In rural India, a very small community of first-generation Christians raised money to purchase a slave and his family out of slavery.
He was the third generation slave. And his sons and daughters were to be the fourth.
It was miraculous how the little faith family raised the money, and did everything they could to help this family acclimate to this new found freedom.
Over the first three years of freedom, at times he found it hard to let go of the slavery… old ways of thinking, old ways of believing, and old ways of acting.
But he was free! He and his family were no longer slaves, the generations of slavery had ended.
“Without Christ, as a slave,” he said, “there was no future for me, my wife, my children, or generations that would follow… We were slaves, and we would be slaves.”
“Now there is hope! We have life! New life! I wake up some mornings, and I still can’t believe that I… that we are free!”
Now, he leads a ministry in rural communities releasing slaves into freedom, and helping them realize what freedom really means.
At times, we can struggle releasing the things that we are or have been bound to… the things that hold us back… the things that might even ‘enslave us.’
But what if we really are free?!
In the opening verses of the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul, speaks about the wonder of redemption…
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace, that He lavished on us.”
(Ephesians 1:7 & 8 NIV)
At least one facet of the beautiful diamond of redemption is seen the deliverance and freedom from slavery in Egypt and the oppressive captivity in Babylon.
Paul says we have been set free, delivered, and redeemed… we have been forgiven… through His blood and the treasure of God’s grace that He lavished on us. We are set free from slavery and oppression, to live the life we have been created to live…. And, it is all there for us in the overflowing cascade of God’s grace offered in the Cross of Christ.
How do the opening story and Paul’s words to the Ephesians encourage you today? Here are a few thoughts and questions for folks like us to consider on our journey to the EXTRAORDINARY LIFE…
- Take a few moments… to consider freedom in Christ
- Freedom from sin
- Freedom from old ways of thinking
- Freedom from old ways of believing
- Freedom from old ways of speaking
- Freedom from old ways of acting
- Ask yourself… Do you really want to live in freedom… Do you choose to live in freedom each day?
- Consider asking a prayer like… God, how can I believe You have really set me free, and how can I live even more free today?
- How does… the God-given reality that you are truly free, give you hope for each day?
- Like the freed slave in India… How can you give your life to set others free?
The EXTRAORDINARY LIFE is a Life of Revolutionary Trust and Hope in God. We have been redeemed… set free… from everything that would keep us from living the fullest life that we have been created to live. God has given us hope and life in His redemption of our lives and all things.
GOD’S GREAT ADVENTURE for our lives is a journey of hope given to us in the redemption-freedom God has lavished on us. And like the freed slave and his family, we are blessed with the opportunity and calling to flood this gracious gift on others.
Transformed people… Transform people.
Redeemed people… Redeem people.
Free people… set other people free.
So, as you consider a life of Revolutionary Hope in the freedom of God’s redemption of your life, a great place to start can be the Steward’s Prayer…
God’s richest blessings to you today as you live towards
THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE God has for you!
With God,
And with each other,
We can!
Trash Cans and Grocery Carts – The Extraordinary Life
We want to help you win. We believe God came to show us a life model of love, mercy, grace and celebration. We want to help folks like us to live into the fullest power of freedom and life.
If you’d like to learn more about strategies to bring the Steward Leader message to your communities please reach out to us at info@stewardleader.org
Join us in expanding the message of Biblical Stewardship around the world!
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