Freedom in Jesus is often celebrated as we think through what his death and resurrection means. While we teachers might comment (perhaps a little too often) on our workload, we're not slaves to it. But what is the new reality for us, now we live in Jesus' new life?
“For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.”
At the cross our redemption was paid for and at the tomb our new life has been secured. This new life also has a new master, the best one in fact – God himself.
Unis organize our diaries, schools command the majority of our working days, worry tries to take over our minds and we can be tempted run it all ourselves. These influences in our lives were never meant to be masters over us – none of them, not even ourselves, are up to the task of knowing what is best and good, and able to bring it about all the time.
But with Jesus the story is different. He is the Lord anyway. Through him everything has been made, he is making all things new, death has no power over him and our everlasting life with him is only found in him. Unlike any other master, Jesus’ lordship is good. He never leads us down the wrong path and he not only gives us no more than we can bear, he also helps us by his Spirit.
While we may exist in systems of uni work, placement observations, staff hierarchies and our own bodily needs, Jesus frees the Christian to live for him and him alone. We shouldn’t neglect our responsibilities, but our commitments to work and different communities don’t have to hold power over us any longer.
What does this mean?
1) Our time is Jesus’
He knows the work we have to do, the rest we need and what is best for us. We can trust him to help us when time is tight and we can rest in him daily, weekly and in different seasons. Jesus is the best shepherd of our souls.
2) Our future direction is Jesus’
Whether it’s the next placement you’ll get or the job you’re looking for, us trying to take control so often looks like a frenzy of activity and concern, but little actual control. With Jesus as Lord, we can submit our plans and hopes to him, knowing that God our Father always looks after his children, even if it doesn’t end up as we expect.
3) Each action, thought and word belongs to him
The Christian life can feels like failure after failure as we struggle to live up to how good God is. Jesus knows this, died for our sins and God wants us in his family despite this. With Jesus as Lord, and his Spirit working in us, we have his power changing us too. He can help us with our attitudes towards ‘that child’, put words of kindness, not cruelty in our mouths and teach us to teach with compassion.
Jesus died and rose again that we might live for him, because he knows that is best for us.
This post is part of a mini series. Read the next one: 4/4 We Can Bring in the New