Need a Break?
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. Ephesians 1:7-10
As women, we are strong, courageous, and ambitious. We try to do it all and rarely ask for help. We push through exhaustion to achieve those high-reaching goals which society places on us. When our anxiety spikes, we don’t talk about it. Instead, we find ways to calm it; drinking, shopping, relationships, and workouts are just a few of our go-tos. Eventually, our coping mechanisms fail us, and we cry out, “I need a BREAK!” That’s when God comes along and whispers, “It’s not a break that you need; it’s redemption.”
The word redemption came from the old testament and was displayed when God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The most common Hebrew root words used for redeeming in the Bible are padah (pä·dä’), ga’al (gä·al’), and qanah (kä·nä’). Padah means to rescue, deliver,
ga’al means to avenge, ransom, and qanah means to get or buyback. The Israelites were God’s chosen people, and when he saw them oppressed by Pharaoh, he moved to save them, to buy them back from slavery. God’s deliverance of his people set the stage for when Jesus was to come later and deliver us from our sins.
In Exodus 6:6, God declared:
Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. Exodus 6:6
Unfortunately, not soon after the Israelites were rescued, the journey of freedom got hard and uncomfortable. The land God promised them was filled with giants, and they were scared to enter it. The Israelites lost their faith and decided it would be easier and more comfortable to go back to living as slaves in Egypt. They didn’t trust God to do what he had said he would do.
They lacked a crucial part in redemption, living in faith and obedience to God.
There are two parts to redemption. In Ephesians, Paul emphasizes the first, which is to save us, free us from our idols and sin, and give us eternal life. James, Jesus’ half-brother, emphasizes the second part, living a transformed life, which is the result of redemption.
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:22-25
God had saved the Israelites, but their hearts hadn’t changed. They listened but didn’t obey. Unfortunately, this group of Israelites was not the only one to miss out on a changed life and receive the benefits of redemption. Paul didn’t want the church to make the same mistakes, so he encouraged and reminded the church of God’s great plan. Through Jesus, we can be redeemed from our sins and receive eternal life.
As women, we naturally tend to be doers and like to control what’s happening around us. But the problem with that is that we miss out on the second part of redemption, living a renewed life. When we ask for forgiveness and then live the rest of our lives the way we want, we end up making the same mistakes that the Israelites did and suffer the consequences. But, if we can let go and allow God to lead the way, He will transform our hearts and minds, free us from our choices that led to enslavement, and give us the break that we so desperately desire.
Do you need a break? Is there something in your life that God’s been nudging you to change? What’s one area of your life that God needs to take the lead-in?
Join me in the comments section. I’d love to hear from you!