I was a slave. I didn’t realize I was a slave. I thought my life was just what everyone else was doing. If I didn’t go where others went, I could continue to justify my sin. I am not as bad as they are, or I will stop all this later were just some of the thoughts I had. Even knowing I had planted those seeds, I chose to be a slave to my sin. My choices owned how I viewed things, did things, and spent my time.
But being a slave to my sin didn’t remove my status as God’s child. Even though I had accepted Christ as a young child with little understanding of what that meant, it still meant I belonged to Jesus. I was the one missing out. Sure, my sin was fun for a while, but it was just like anything else we put before the Lord. It leaves us wanting more, attempting to fill that God-shaped hole with other things.
Because we long to fill the hole, we go along in life, wanting what only the Lord can provide. We take and grab everything, trying to fill that hole. It might look like a relationship, a status, or a drug. For me, it was looking for a relationship only the Lord could satisfy.
Here is the thing about God: He knows what we need before we know. Anything we attempt to put before what He desires will leave us empty and unsatisfied. Just look at the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, we see the story of His chosen people continuing to look elsewhere—the same thing I did for many years.
Christ is my firm foundation. Because of Jesus, God saved me. Because of Jesus, I have freedom I could never repay. Jesus is the reason I refuse to believe that I shouldn’t stop praying for loved ones who are far from the Lord.
Maybe you are where I was, reaching and grabbing at empty things that aren’t satisfying. If so, look to the only One who can fulfill your longing.
Angela McCoun is an encourager and writer. She is passionate about sharing the love of Jesus. She is a mom, wife, retired preschool teacher, and devotional writer. She shares her journey of the faithfulness of God amid the unknown. She believes we are not meant to live life alone. Learning the power of God’s Word and how we can encourage one another through prayer is the reason she writes and shares. Her call to write came after a year of journaling with the Lord and after a diagnosis of MS. It was in that place of uncertainty that God met her with all her questions and concerns. You can follow her on Facebook at “Flourish in the Journey.” You can connect with her at https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1NZjkDw6kp/?mibextid=wwXIfr.