Carols Devotional: “Oh Holy Night, Part 5”

Freedom, full and complete

1 Peter 1:18, 19 (NLT)

I love how God doesn’t do things halfway. I like that he is a strong starter and a strong finisher. He isn’t a weekend warrior who leaves his projects in the garage during the week to get dusty.

This semester I have started taking classes again and I have been shocked by the amount of people I see on campus who have e-cigarettes. In the most unflattering judgemental voice I think to myself, “You’re 20 years old, how could you possible be so addicted to cigarettes that you have to have an e-cigarette. That’s ridiculous.” This week while that thought was in my head the Lord gently nudged me to ask if there are things in my life that aren’t completely 100% in His hands.

I like how God doesn’t do things halfway until it comes to the rubber meeting the road in my own life. Each Christmas I can hardly sing the lyrics, “Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother, and in His name all oppression shall cease” I’m normally already sobbing. I’m thinking about the tremendous sacrifice God made so that my chains could be broken and how I feel incredibly empowered to do all that I can with my time on earth to help get people free.

Sometimes we let time pass without ceasing the intentionality that is meant to be paired with it. Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that we are now saved because of the precious blood of Christ and we allow ourselves to become unfocused on the mission. One of the vows I made to my husband on our wedding day was to “Not allow myself to be discouraged or distracted by anything God has already given me victory over.”

He’s got the muscles and is willing to do the heavy lifting on our behalf, but we’ve got to be faithful with the maintenance in order to be a proper testimony of His work. What chains remain shackled on you and what chains can you thank Him for breaking?

Tranica Quevedo