It Takes Time

It takes time to be set free. Time to heal from the baggage you’re so used to carrying. Time to leave the familiarity of the chains you’ve become accustomed to having. Time to give up the weight of responsibility you’ve identified as your normal for so long.

It takes time to be set free.

And Christ knows that. When He rose from the grave, He took the time to meet with His disciples. “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). These were the very disciples who denied their Lord with oaths (Matthew 26:74), doubted His power over death (John 20:25), and didn’t understand His ways (Matthew 16:23).

For it takes time to be set free.

And Christ knows that. When He conquered the grave, He took the time to personally meet with His disciples, to conquer the death in each of them. Because that’s what Jesus does!

To the one who denied Jesus, the one on whom Jesus said He would build His church (Matthew 16:18), Christ called him to follow Him, again (John 21:19) and again (John 21:22).

To the one who doubted Jesus, the one who remained skeptical, Christ knew what he needed, so He simply told him, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John 20:27).

To the one who remained earth-bound in his thinking (Matthew 16:23), and to each of us who strive so hard in our own efforts to turn things for good, losing our focus off of God’s ways, Christ proclaimed and still proclaims today, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Matthew 16:24-25). Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

So when you’re used to standing your ground and making your own way, and it’s hard to be dependent. When you’re used to defending your cause and keeping up the fight, and it’s hard to surrender. Remember, it all takes time. And Christ knows that. That’s why He gently calls you, faithfully shows you, and graciously reminds you. Again and again. That He is for you, not against you (Romans 8:31). That you can trust Him to finish the good work He has started in you (Philippians 1:6).

Jesus calls you to follow Him and Him alone, because He is the only way to be set free. Allow Him to set you free. Give Him the time to set you free.

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“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” -Galatians 5:1