Entrusted

Romans 6:17-18 “ But thanks be to God that , though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”

It has been a crazy Christmas season. Fun, and so filled with blessings, but so very very busy. So busy in fact that when I finally take a moment to breathe, I wonder where in the world I have been. I have been here and there and everywhere, with everyone else, doing everything else, but I have been somewhat absent to myself, and absent from God.

And when I say absent from myself, I don’t mean in a selfless kind of way, that might be kind of righteous, but more in a choosing to ignore my own internal state kind of way. More in a way that chooses to ignore the convictions and sinful tendencies I might be leaning towards, and just presses forward, ignoring it all. In fact, I might even venture to say, I have been somewhat passive aggressive towards God. Kind of saying, I don’t have time for you God, and if you wanted me to have time for you, you should have give me a job in ministry. The job I want, where ministry is my full time focus, then I could focus on you. But not now…I am to busy with other things. Too busy being a slave to my own sin, and my own junk, or too lazy maybe.

Sometimes, it is just easier to be a slave. To sit in my own chains of bondage, rather than try to fight my way out of them. And the thing is, I have been set free of so many chains. For a moment I got lazy, and thought that I was home free. But unfortunately, Satan has a never ending supply of chains. Once we are set free from some, he has plenty more that He can pile on. And he will keep piling and piling away, as long as we let him.

But God says we don’t have to. We don’t have to be a slave to these things, because He has entrusted us with the gift of salvation. Not only has He given it to us, but he ENTRUSTED it to us. Entrust: to give to another for care, protection, or performance. You see, He did not just give me salvation so I could put it in my box and pull it out when I get to heaven as an entrance ticket. He gave it to me so that I could use it. He gave it to me so that I could use it. So that I don’t have to be a slave. It’s not just my key to heaven and eternal life, but the universal key that unlocks any chains of bondage that Satan wants to try and wrap around me.

Even the internal chain that has me believing that if God wanted me in ministry, I would already have a job doing it, so I might as well give up. Even the internal chain that says, no one gets anything out of what you write, quite wasting your time. The chains that tell me trying to lose weight is a pointless effort, I can’t do it. The chains that tell me not to try any more. I know that all of these things aren’t true. But yet their undercurrent runs through my thoughts time after time throughout the day. But only if I let them. I am entrusted with the key to change, the key to joy, and the key to righteousness - forgiveness, salvation, and unconditional love. Thank you Jesus, that time and time again, you set me free.