Jenifer Metzger : YOU ARE FREE

Standing at the water's edge, toes in the sand, listening to waves crash against the shore, this is where I feel the deepest sense of freedom. The wide open spaces standing in front of me as I listen to the laughter of my family with no schedules to keep, nothing demanding my attention, no one judging me and no masks to wear, Just complete freedom. I feel God here. I feel His presence and I see His beautiful artistry as I look out to the ocean. It's just a sweet, sweet freedom.

I want this freedom every day. Yet, this isn't my every day life. I get the blessing of experiencing this a few days each year, the rest of the year is real life. Real life has schedules and agendas. Real life wakes me early and puts me to bed late. Real life has me feeling as though I have to prove myself to everyone about everything. Real life holds regrets and disappointments. Real life doesn't feel free.

In her new book You Are Free, Rebekah Lyons reminds us that Christ doesn't say we can be free or may be free or will be free, He says we are free. We are. We have freedom in our Father. That same sweet freedom I feel standing at the ocean. That freedom I crave.

Rebekah says, "From the beginning of time, all God ever wanted was our union with Him. He didn't create Adam and Eve because He wanted hep cultivating the earth or naming the animals. Believe me, God is capable of that all by Himself! No, He created man and woman because He wanted to offer companionship. They were the pinnacles of His creation.He delighted in Adam and Eve and wanted intimacy with them. His purpose for them -and us- was freedom to walk with Him."

We are free! God wants us to experience this freedom. He wants us to know this freedom from our past, our pain, our regrets, our guilt, our addictions, our schedules, our need to prove ourselves, our disease to please, from anything weighing us down and binding us up. This freedom comes from Him. The One who created us and made us free to walk with Him.

In You Are Free Rebekah invites us to:
•Overcome the exhaustion of meeting others expectations and rest in the joy of God’s freedom.
•Release stress and anxiety to uncover the peace that comes from abiding in God’s presence.
•Find permission to grieve past disappointments and find strength in your journey toward healing.
•Throw off self-condemnation, masks of perfection, and step boldly into God’s purpose for you.
•Discover the courage to begin again and use your newfound freedom to set others free.