Freedom

My pastor was preaching on John chapter 4 where Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman at the well, and what we can learn about Jesus from that passage.  Without going into too much detail, we learn that He was human, that He wants all people to come to Him regardless of gender, religion, or nationality, and that He often exposes sin to reveal a need.

My favorite application from the sermon was that God doesn’t expose sin to shame us.  He exposes sin to bring about freedom.

And that’s what I needed to hear.  The Lord’s been working on my heart, digging up painful experiences and hidden sin that I would have preferred remain buried forever.  Embarrassed and ashamed, I shoved those memories as deep down as I could and time made them faded and almost forgotten.  But even hidden in the depths these traumatic events had a firm grasp on my thoughts and feelings, controlling who I am today.  The Lord tenderly revealed the past I had concealed, and I reluctantly allowed the memories to surface and heal.  Slowly the burden I have carried unknowingly for all these years is becoming lighter

How amazing and precious the Lord is to cultivate and pursue true freedom in each of us. He saw the weight of guilt that I was carrying on my own and He knew it was too much for me to bear.  That Samaritan woman at the well went back to her town and told the people about the man “who told me everything I ever did.”  Today I’m glad that nothing is hidden from God.  And I’m grateful that He accepts me as I am and loves me too much to leave me that way.