“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” — John 8:36
There is something about the sound of chains. They represent something that has you bound—something that keeps you from moving freely, something that says, “You can’t go any farther.”
But not every chain is made of iron.
I’ve learned that some of the heaviest chains we carry are the ones nobody else can see. At times I haven’t seen them myself.
There are chains of fear that keep us from stepping out in faith. Chains of guilt that constantly remind us of what we have done. Chains of shame that whisper that we are not worthy. Chains of bitterness and unforgiveness that keep us tied to something that happened yesterday or even years ago.
There are chains of addiction, anger, insecurity, regret, loneliness and even the opinions of other people.
Sometimes we become so accustomed to carrying our chains that we forget what freedom feels like.
In Acts 16, we find Paul and Silas sitting in a prison. They had been beaten, thrown into the inner cell, and their feet were fastened in stocks. By every human measure, they had plenty of reasons to complain.
But around midnight, Paul and Silas began praying and singing praises to God.
Then something happened.
An earthquake shook the prison. The doors opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.
I love this story because Paul and Silas praised God before their circumstances changed.
Their worship wasn’t dependent upon an open door. Their faith wasn’t dependent upon an easy life. They trusted God while they were still in chains.
That’s an important lesson for each of us.
Sometimes we want God to change our circumstances before we will trust Him. We want the door to open before we begin to praise. But faith doesn’t praise God because it knows what God will do. Faith praises God because it knows who God is.
God may change our circumstances, but sometimes He is doing something even deeper. He is changing us.
Jesus didn’t come simply to make our lives easier. He came to make us free.
So the question is: What are you still carrying that Jesus is asking you to surrender?
Maybe it’s something from your past.
Maybe it’s something someone did to you.
Maybe it’s something you did that you can’t seem to forgive yourself for.
Maybe fear has kept you from stepping into something God has called you to do because you’ve convinced yourself that you’re not good enough.
Whatever the chain is, Jesus already knows about it. You don’t have to hide it from Him. You don’t have to clean yourself up before you come to Him. You simply have to surrender it.
Surrendering doesn’t always mean that everything changes overnight. Sometimes God breaks a chain immediately. Other times, He walks with us through a process of healing, forgiveness, growth, and faith.
But either way, we don’t have to remain prisoners of our past.
The door is open.
The chain can come off.
Freedom is available through Jesus Christ.
And when Christ sets you free, don’t go looking for the chains again.
Walk forward.
Walk in forgiveness.
Walk in faith.
Walk in the freedom Christ has given you.
And perhaps one of the greatest things God can do with your story is use the chains you once carried to help someone else discover that they can be free too.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You know the chains I have been carrying. Some are visible to others, and some are known only to You.
Today, I surrender them to You.
Give me the courage to let go of my fear, my guilt, my bitterness, my regrets, and everything else that keeps me from walking freely with You.
Remind me that my past does not have the final word. You do.
Help me trust You even when my circumstances have not changed. Help me walk forward in the freedom You have given me, and use my story to help someone else find freedom too.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Be free in Christ.
David “PK” VanderKlay
