Chapter 11 has been, by far, my favorite so far!
It speaks directly at what I freely admit I struggle with the most -- guilt. Mommy guilt, work guilt, wife guilt, daughter guilt, food guilt. Me and guilt are intimately equated, and I've kind of always felt like this was just a part of me, and that I'd struggle with it all my life.
The longer I read the chapter, even though it didn't specifically say these things, I could feel the Lord gently prodding me to grace and freedom, not bondage.
The main focus of the chapter is recognizing that we need to listen to God's voice, His call/leading on our lives and not the voices of everyone, everything around us. Everything has a voice -- media, culture, well-meaning family members, but if we're listening to those voices, "leads to legalism and starves the soul of grace freely given by God."
The verses they picked for the chapter also spoke to me directly. Galatians 5:4 says, "You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law (or rules, or formulas!); you have fallen from grace."
Proverbs 29:25 - "The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted."
Romans 12:2 - "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
Maybe the chapter won't mean as much to you as it meant to me. I'm beginning to think God intended it solely for my benefit. ;-) But, if you read it and are freed for a bit (or a lot) of bondage, please let me know! I'd love to hear of the Lord's faithfulness to you as well.
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