Let’s start in the right place by understanding who God is, why he chose to free us, and what he has freed us for.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

Our true freedom comes when we recognize who our master is

You’ve heard this message time and time again – you can’t have it all. You can either have God or the world. But over and over again the world and it’s stuff draws us. The expectations of people imprison us. The “shoulds” eat up our time and money. And we ourselves place heavy burdens and expectations on ourselves. In verse 32, Jesus promises us that the truth will set us free. Free from the:

• tyranny of sin
• tyranny of the “shoulds”
• tyranny of expectations
• tyranny of the world’s hype
• tyranny our own requirements of perfection – work in progress from birth to death

But what is the truth? The truth is that God “so loved” us all that he sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins. The truth is that God is our creator, and he made us in his image. For a class, I had to write my  “theology” statement about who God is. Here are the truths that resonate with me:

My God is Creator: Therefore I can trust in His design for me

My God is omnipotent: therefore, I can trust that he can do all things as he has planned

My God is Sovereign, King and Lord: Therefore I can hold onto the fact that he is in control no matter how crazy things are in my life.

My God is Faithful: therefore I can know that he will never leave me or forsake me.

My God is Good: Therefore I can believe that all thing will work together for my good.

My God is Holy: therefore I can expect righteousness and justice from Him.

My God is Long-suffering and forgiving: therefore I can know that he will be patient with me as I try to do his will.

My God is gracious and merciful: therefore I can know that he allows for my humanity and doesn’t hold my sins against me.

Can you see the clear message – God is in control. God is our focus. God is all we need. In fact, God is the right place to start.