Throw off the Yoke of Slavery!

After putting it off for a good hour, I finally sat down for my morning time with Jesus. On my way to sit down, before I even hit the bed, He says to me:

You've already started your day with a sense of guilt, shame and fear.

Me: What? Oh my gosh, you're right, Jesus! 

Even before I got out of bed today, I felt guilty for being such a mess. That's why I kept hitting the snooze button. On my way to the kitchen, I passed the candy bowl and all the the times I've overindulged on sweets, stayed up too late, didn't work hard, and wasted time came flooding back into my memory. The pang of accusation quickly turned into a value judgment on myself--I'm a bad person. I have to work extra hard today, do an extra good job, in order to make up for all the mistakes of the last few days. I felt handicapped by my past failures.

What's going on?

Jesus: "You have an accuser."

Oh yeah! How could I forget? Satan's name means "accuser of the brethren". It's what he does best.

I look up and see the hand-made poster on the wall across from me. It reads:

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." - Galations 5:1

Jesus: Emily, I have SET YOU FREE from all the guilt of your past sins! You can look back at all those mistakes you made and not be ashamed, because I have given you MY righteousness.

What is this passage telling me? Three things:

1) Someone is actively trying to burden me again. My enemy is walking around with his yoke of guilt and shame, and trying to slip it on my neck whenever he can.

2) Simply existing will not protect me from him. I must STAND FIRM--make an active effort to push away that yoke from my neck!

3) Slavery is more than a burden...the Bible calls it a "yoke" for a reason. A yoke is something you pull on at someone else's command, in the direction they tell you to go. Jesus says his yoke is easy and his burden is light. But the yoke of slavery is a heavy burden of guilt and shame, and when I allow the enemy to slip it over my shoulders, I start pulling in the direction he wants me to go. I start trying to prove my worth, earn God's love, and do things to "make up for" my sin. He wants to keep me focused on being perfect instead of pulling on Christ's yoke. The enemy loves to take us out of the game!

______________________________________________________________________________

Oooh, the enemy is crafty! He stands over me in my bed and throws his yoke on me the moment I awake. Then he slinks under the bed and quietly whispers, "This is normal. What you're feeling isn't out of the ordinary at all. Just get up and go about your business."

Obedience to Jesus pleases him, and He's commanded us to stand firm and to not let ourselves be yoked by the enemy. So when we throw Satan's yoke off our shoulders and REFUSE to listen to the voice of guilt and shame, Jesus is pleased with us!

Jesus: Yes! Well done, daughter! Good job! I'm so proud of you! You obeyed my word--you stood firm. NOW you're back in the game. I can't wait for today. I have so much planned for us!

Me: Let's do this! I can't wait for today either. Thank you so much, Jesus.