Recognizing a Hero

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery...You, my brothers, were called to be free." Galatians 5:1, 13.

A big part of being rescued is recognizing the hero when He sweeps in to rescue. When I think of Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law, she was supplied a hero in her daughter-in-law as Ruth refused to leave her alone when Ruth's husband died. Naomi was so caught up in her own life and circumstances she was unable to see that God was sending Ruth as her hero. Thankfully, Ruth insisted on remaining and taking care of Naomi, being instrumental in the deliverence of a new life for both of them.

So many times we pray for rescue, we pray for deliverence and we pray for freedom from whatever enslaves us in our lives. We determine what our hero looks like and the manner through which we will be rescued so many times the hero comes and we miss it. This verse infers that freedom has already been granted through Christ and is not something to come. Freedom is a state of mind, not a deliverence from a problem. By "standing firm" as the verse states we guard our minds against this slavery returning. We enslave ourselves based on our fears and are asking for something that has already been given to us and a rescue that has already occurred. The hero has already come sweeping us up onto the white horse. But do we recognize that we are already galloping away to a new life of freedom or are we looking towards the horizon missing the horse we are already mounted upon?

I remember a story while visiting a support group of families of alcoholics many years ago which I will never forget. One father said that no matter what he did for his son he could not save him from himself. The father had given him all of the tools, support and resources needed to survive and be rescued from his addiction. He said it was like watching a person who thought they were drowning in 10 feet of water screaming for air and a life saving device when in reality he just needed to put his feet down in one spot and see that he was only in 3 feet of water.

His slavery was all in his head and recognizing the rescue was essential in the deliverence. Are you recognizing your rescue and claiming your freedom?