Man In The Pew

Do you know an addict who’s been freed from their addiction? Perhaps you know someone who’s been rescued from sex trafficking? Redemption stories provide many reasons to give thanks.

Addictions keep people in bondage. Sex trafficking is a form of slavery.

So is sin.

Slavery inhibits thanks

The Apostle Paul said this in Romans 7: “The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.”

In talking with many addicts over the years, they feel powerless to defeat their addiction. In fact, the addiction serves a purpose the addict isn’t sure he wants to release. It feels protective, even though it’s destructive. It feels safe and comforting, even though it’s dangerous and seeks to destroy.

See the parallel with sin?

The victim of sex trafficking feels trapped. She often can’t see a way to escape. She’s held bondage through drugs and emotional abuse.

Who can provide the way of escape?

The addict often needs an intervention. The sex slave needs to be rescued. The sinner needs redemption.

What is redemption?

To redeem means to repurchase or buyback. In the book of Galatians, Paul explained, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). He goes on to explain that Jesus came “to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:5-6).

Freedom leads to thanks

When a prisoner is released he rediscovers the joys of freedom. Often this leads to gratitude and a resolve to never return.

Freed from his addiction, the recovering addict now appreciates his newfound freedom, while never losing sight of the dangers of addiction.

Once reunited with her family, the former sex slave gratefully thanks those who rescued her. Often the rescuers put their own lives at risk to set her free.

Jesus said about his mission, “He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18 ESV).

Or as Charles Wesley put it in the classic hymn, “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”: 

He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me. 

Charles Wesley

Don Hudson shares his story of redemption here.

Dangers of redemption

When I studied economic development in college, I noticed people often take for granted things for which they didn’t work. They often took it for granted and didn’t take care of it. 

The same can happen with our redemption. We could never possibly contribute anything toward our redemption. Yet, with time we start to think we somehow deserved it. We take it lightly. We think we can sin without consequence. 

The addict knows the ever-present danger of a relapse. Many former sex slaves live in constant fear that her former masters will find her and force her back into slavery. 

A healthy fear of our former slave masters leads to even greater gratitude for what we have. That in a nutshell describes the spiritual battle of good versus evil played out cosmically between God and Satan.

Redemption produces gratitude 

In remembering the stories of apartheid in South Africa, Nelson Mandela famously said:

“The truth is that we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free.”

Nelson Mandela

The people of South Africa rejoiced greatly at their freedom to be free.

Jesus declared, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He purchased our irrevocable freedom.

Jesus paid the penalty for our sin. We’ve been ransomed and now we are adopted as children. We can freely call God our Father.

Sin’s power is broken. Like the addict who no longer feels powerless in the presence of the bottle, we have the power to resist Satan and sin. 

The presence of sin continues for a while longer. As a result, we long for God’s return. Until then we continue to give thanks that we are his and that he is with us. “Greater is he who is in us than he who is in this world” (1 John 4:4).

CHALLENGE:

Go somewhere quiet with your journal. Spend at least a few minutes writing down sins, addictions, or struggles where you’ve seen God set you free. Give him thanks for that freedom. In places that you still struggle, ask for grace, and thank him for the strength he gives you. If you know someone currently caught in the snares of addiction, pray for them and ask God to show you a way to reach out today to offer encouragement in their battle.

PRAYER:

Jesus, I thank you for coming to rescue and redeem me. Thank you that I am no longer a slave to sin. I praise you for freeing me from sins of (idolatry, lust, pleasure, and self-deception)  ________________ (fill in the blank). I pray for increasing gratitude for all you’ve done for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

When you look at creation how do you respond? Does it lead you to be more grateful?

For many, it leads to worship. The question is whom or what do we worship?

Some bow down and worship the trees, the moon, and the mountains. Others worship the science or the mystical force that created such beauty.

While it would be miraculous indeed to believe that atoms randomly arranged themselves into such beauty, I find it more logical to believe in the Somone who claims to have made the heaven, the earth, the mountains, and the seas.

In fact, I’m with David on this one. When I look at the heavens in their splendor, I wonder who am I that the God who created all things even thinks about me? (see Psalm 8:3-4)

In reflecting on God’s creation, I’d like to consider four ways creation can inspire gratitude.

#1: Beauty Inspires Gratitude

I love sunsets, sunrises, and beautiful mountain and ocean scenes. I have numerous memories where a stunning scene developed that made it feel like “time stood still.” 

One specific memory dominates. I wish I had a camera to capture it. 

I attended a retreat in Cannon Beach, Oregon. The retreat center sits right on the Pacific Ocean. The beach is surrounded by rugged rocks while still giving a clear view of the ocean. On one particular night, I enjoyed a sunset that rivals all sunsets in my experience. It seemed to last 30 minutes with each minute revealing different hues and strokes of God’s artistic genius. I was so moved I started to dance and sing. You need to understand, that while I’m a professional musician, I am NOT a dancer. But I couldn’t help myself. I was overcome with thankfulness to a God who made such beauty who would pay attention to me.

It caught me off guard. While this happened nearly thirty years ago, I remember it like it was yesterday.

Beauty has a way of doing that. 

Just like the sunset faded into memory, beauty fades. But it can have a lasting impact if the beauty points us to God and the gifts he’s poured out on us.

#2: Outer beauty points to inner beauty

In 1 Peter 3:3-4, Peter reminds us that outer beauty never lasts, but inner beauty lasts forever. So, if God is able to create such amazing beauty in creation, how much more can he create beauty in our hearts, minds, and souls. 

I was with our friend, Leslie, recently. She served for decades as a covert missionary, but she’s now fighting sickness. Even in her ailment, beauty shines through in her countenance. She exudes hope, gratitude, and faith. Sickness can’t take those things away. She has learned to allow outer beauty to prompt her to focus on inner beauty.

That’s one of the benefits of learning the art of gratitude. Being grateful will create an inner beauty that can’t be taken away from you.

#3: Being grateful for God’s provision 

Jesus taught us to look at birds and flowers as a reminder of God’s care and provision. If God can feed the birds and clothe the flowers in beauty, surely he can provide food and clothes for us. Worry will yield no harvest, but gratitude and trust will enable us to focus on what really matters (see Matthew 6:25-34). Hear this story about being grateful even when you lose everything.

#4: Creation shows God’s attention to details

Have you ever worked with an artisan who doesn’t paint or decorate the backside or topside of a cabinet, thinking that no one will ever see it? That’s not how God rolls. He pays attention to the smallest details, even if we never see it. 

As we learn more and more about atoms and microns we see the intricate detail of how the universe is knit together. God did that long before we ever had microscopes powerful enough to notice.

The same is true about galaxies and outer space. The further we explore the more we discover about the amazing ways God knit together the universe.

On a personal level, we continue to learn about the human body. Our brains are more complex than the most powerful supercomputers ever designed. God knows precisely how our bodies are put together and can heal them. While we often focus on the parts of our body we don’t like or that don’t work the way we wish they did, what if we spent time focused on how well our bodies do work?

Creation reminds us to thank God as THE Master Artist.

CONCLUSION:

Creation reflects God’s creative genius and the paradox that the all-powerful God loves us and pays attention to every part of our lives. What a powerful reason to give thanks every day! Creation leads to life.

CHALLENGE:

Go for a walk or take a drive into creation. Even a park will do. Allow your eyes to guide your prayers. Spend time journaling or praying out loud as you notice the trees, the grass, the birds, the clouds, the insects, or whatever you see. Take time to be thankful for each thing you see, but try to think more deeply. 

For example, when you study a tree, think about how God waters it, feeds it, allows the seasons to grow it, and give it rest. Consider how it survives through windstorms, droughts, and the withering heat of summer. Thank God for the shade it provides, it’s beauty in spring and fall, and the way its wood can be used to build houses, furniture, and paper. Get the idea?

PRAYER:

Father, I thank you for placing me on the earth and surrounding me with daily prompts that point to you as the Master Artist. I agree with David that it’s amazing that you notice me when you’re surrounded by such massive displays of your beauty, the angels, and the saints who’ve gone before me. Thank you that you care for me, love me, and provide for me. Teach me to be more grateful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.