Slavery?

"For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved." -II Peter 2:19b

Imagine a newly freed slave... there's no way she wants to return to her chains - not a chance! I can imagine the ecstatic "free" feeling, the new lightness in her step, the amazing release from chains, the new hope springs bubbling over. Who would want to return to former ugly heavy chains? It's ridiculous.

Yet isn't that what happens to us?

"Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today." -Deuteronomy 15:15

We are former slaves to sin, redeemed by the Lamb and by His blood set free. Yet if Peter is correct in that whatever overcomes a person makes them a slave than it is true that we are often re-enslaved.

What makes slaves of us? Are we overcome by sorrow, by hopelessness, by struggles, by pain? Are we slaves to good opinion, to appearances, to anxiety, to fear?

"Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." -Romans 6:16-18

Praise Him that although we were slaves, we have been set free, and as long as we choose not to be overcome we are slaves only to Him. And being His slave is its own reward. :)