Have you ever seen a dog desperately pulling on his chain? With great determination and willpower, that dog really believes that he can set himself free. He keeps tugging and struggling – not realizing that he’s tied to a tree. From our perspective, the dog looks fairly ridiculous. Even though he can’t see that something is holding him back, we clearly know what is restraining him from breaking loose.
Ever felt like that dog? You might be trying with all your might to break free of your restraints and live for Jesus, but at the end of the day, you’re still chained to something. What are the restraints in your life? Perhaps it is a secret sin that is controlling your mind and heart. Maybe it’s an unhealthy relationship that needs to be left in the past. Or it could even be as harmless as a hobby – such as sports, shopping, or school – but you have become so caught up in activities that God takes second place. A restraint is anything that stands between you and your loving Savior. Anything that steals your attention and adoration from the One who gave up everything just to know you and make you His.
How do we get rid of restraints? The answer is very simple. Abandon them. When something is restraining you, it is keeping you in bondage and taking control of your life. The word abandon is a “complete lack of inhibition or restraint.” That’s what God wants from us – no restraints. When we allow restraints to create a wall between us and Jesus, we are not fulfilling God’s ultimate purpose for our lives. In Isaiah 43:7, I’m reminded of that purpose – “Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” I have created him for my glory.
When I was a little girl, my friends and I played this game that I’m sure most of you are familiar with. A friend would double dare me to fall back into his open arms, but here’s the tricky part – no peeking. As I would start to fall backwards, my eyes darted to quickly make sure he was going to catch me. My restraint was fear. An overwhelming fear of falling. Now, imagine that Friend behind you is Jesus. Simply let go of any restraints and fall back into His arms. He will catch you every time. To step it up for Christ, we must first abandon ourselves totally to God. Nothing holding us back. Nothing getting in the way.
Today, Jesus is waiting with open arms. No matter where you come from or what you’ve done, we can all find our identity in Jesus Christ. Lost? Jesus will find you and keep you. Dirty? Let Jesus wash you clean. Scarred? Jesus knows all about scars.
The One on the throne deserves all of our glory. Instead of giving Him bits and pieces of our hearts, let's give Him all of it. Give Him everything.
Live unrestrained.
