Article by: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries
I ask you to think of today’s post as a duet—two distinct voices harmonizing within a melodious freedom message.
I compiled a selection of my favorite quotes from Rebekah Lyons’ new book, You Are Free, and wove them into my own freedom story.
The style of our music is call and response.
Rebekah’s words (in italics) set the tone and carry the melody.
My voice is a response. An echo. An agreement.
The beginning this piece is contemplative, picking up tempo as we go, rising to a crescendo at the end.
The freedom anthem we sing is not our own composition.
It is the original work of the Great Maestro, the One who spoke creation into existence.
The One who loved us enough to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to set us free.
The life of the believer hangs in the balance between the now and the not yet.
My soul abhors the space between the now and the not yet. I have spent most of my life in this barren place. Longing for the fulfillment of not yet; despising the lack of now. Would God allow me to waste away in the space between, or is there purpose in my exile?
The fires of passion and zeal burn quickly, but start to fade when we don’t see evidence of God’s provision and blessing immediately.
I long to experience God’s promise fulfilled, yet I waste away in the waiting. I fear my zeal will consume me, my passion will flame out and leave me charred—worthless. I am stuck at the DMV of life and would give anything to hear my number called over the heavenly speakerphone. God, where is your blessing? Where is your provision?
Here, in the waiting, God gently responds:
I am working on your behalf even now.
In the tension, I hold you.
In the waiting, I walk with you.
I have grown weary in waiting; the space between has become my enemy. Yet, I wonder if waiting is a gift, a treasure from above preparing me for not yet. God is here with me as I wait; He wouldn’t ask me to endure if not for some greater purpose. Can I trust that He is working in my waiting?
When we abide in Him, He brings us into a fruit-producing life that feeds and nourishes others.
Not yet calls to me, but when I strive for it, I stop abiding. My desire to have it all distracts from all that I have. I believe God wants me to lose myself in the precipice between now and not yet. To leave myself behind in this barren place so my life becomes other-focused.
God cares more about our presence than our performance.
My passion for God threatens my position of submission before God. My desire to perform for God prevents me from experiencing the provision of God. I need not yearn for the not yet because there is much to be learned in the now. Waiting is preventing me from proving my worthiness. Maybe that’s the reason God has forced me to linger here!
My passion for God threatens my position of submission before God. #youarefreebook Click to Tweet
Here, in the waiting, God gently responds:
I am working on your behalf even now.
In the tension, I hold you.
In the waiting, I walk with you.
I used to hate waiting because it felt like such a waste, but now I see the wonder of waiting. This gift of delayed blessings, of postponed provision, has forced me to have faith that God is working in my waiting. He longs to hold me, to walk with me, to work for me—an impossibility—until I cease striving. Waiting teaches me to stop striving and start surrendering.
Shift from wanting to accomplish big things for god to wanting to simply receive small things from God.
I long for not yet because I have big things to accomplish for God. I struggle to embrace now because I fear I am not yet good enough. I believed the lie that tomorrow will be better and wasted today wishing it were over. God did not rescue me so I could work for His approval; He rescued me because He desires me to be free.
The secret to strength is weakness.
Waiting makes me feel weak. But God tells us His power is made perfect in our weakness—His strength is connected to our weakness. It is all beginning to make sense to me! The light is breaking through the clouds and I see the beauty of waiting. God knows the wait weakens us; the not yet teaches us to depend on Him.
Freedom is contagious. Freedom helps us set others free.
We are nothing without Him. We are everything in Him.
This is your calling. You are free. Go. Set others free.
God is working in your waiting. He is holding you and whispering, “trust me,” in your ear. The space between now and not yet isn’t meant to be feared, loathed, or skipped over. It is meant to teach us that there is freedom to be found in a season of waiting. Freedom to rest, freedom to trust, freedom to set others free!
If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 #youarefreebook Click to Tweet
This is just a small glimpse into the heartfelt message of Rebekah’s new book. Most of these quotes are pulled from her chapter titled, “Free to Wait.”
The truth is we all long for more freedom.
In You Are Free, Rebekah invites you to:
- Overcome the exhaustion of meeting others expectations and rest in the joy of God’s freedom.
- Release stress and anxiety to uncover the peace that comes from abiding in God’s presence.
- Find permission to grieve past disappointments and find strength in your journey toward healing.
- Throw off self-condemnation, masks of perfection, and step boldly into God’s purpose for you.
- Discover the courage to begin again and use your newfound freedom to set others free.
Christ doesn’t say you can be or may be or will be free. He says you are free.
Freedom is for everyone who wants it—the lost, the wounded, and those weary from striving. It’s for those who gave up trying years ago. It’s for those who are angry and hurt, brilliant and burnt. You are the church, the people of God. You were meant to be free.
It is an honor and a privilege to help Rebekah launch her new book. I am grateful for the opportunity to support other authors and enjoy the work of promoting their books. I did receive an advance copy of the book from Zondervan publishers in exchange for a thoughtful and honest review; all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Head on over to YouAreFreeBook.com to grab a free sample chapter and order your copy today. While you are there, be sure to click on a few of the share buttons (your friends will thank you)!
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