When Freedom Hurts

What do you think of when you think of Christ setting you free?  I think I'm beginning to realize that I usually tend to think of Him setting me free from things I don't like.  I'm only beginning to realize that sometimes He also sets us free from things that we love and care about deeply, things that may even be good, but that hinder our growth.  Those are often the things that can have the strongest grips on us and keep us in bondage merely by the fact that we don't want to leave.  Yet if we don't leave, we may not experience all that Christ has in store for us.

Sometimes we may not even have to leave.  We may just have to reach the point where we are free enough to be willing to leave and trust God with the results.  Following Him into freedom may mean letting go of something we cherish or it might make it better.  What's important to the freedom process is that fear is replaced with faith.

I love the song "Painting Pictures of Egypt" by Sara Groves.  So often, we like the Israelites, paint pictures of Egypt and leave out what it lacks as God tries to bring us into a better place.  Freedom didn't come easily for the Israelites.  They had to leave all that was familiar to them for the unknown.  All they had was what God had told them.  All they needed was that and the faith to believe it.  But they struggled and clung to the ways they knew and many of them never got to enter the Promised Land because of it.  Freedom is difficult.  How often do we hear that?  How often are people truly set free from all that hinders them from what Christ has to offer, especially the things they want to cling to?  When we reach the point where it hurts to stay but we're scared to go, will we stay and continue to be hurt or will we trust Christ and follow Him to freedom?