Redeemed. It is my favorite word. Perhaps mostly because it so poignantly portrays my walk with Jesus. Ever since I was little I have always known about Jesus. I was taught my by grandparents about Jesus from the time I could walk and talk. I have always known about Him. It was not until I was older that I discovered I could have a relationship with Him. And it was even later than that when I realized He would become my rescuer and redeemer for everything that life threw at me.
My life did not go as anyone who knew me had planned for it to go. Runaway. Teen pregnancy. Promiscuity. Drugs and Alcohol. There was not much I did not get into as a kid, or teenager. And any thoughts of things calming down for me once I became a mother, or grew up a little, were gone at the drop of a hat.
To say that my life is different now would be an understatement. I am grown, mature, and ever so in love with Jesus. I learned through hard experiences that I can either accept my circumstances and remain a victim of life forever, or I could give my life to Jesus and let it be all that He meant for it to be and then some.
Thus began the Lord’s redeeming work in my life. Easy to say, but harder to live through.
Living a rescued and redeemed life does not just mean you do not practice your old habits. Living a rescued life means that you acknowledge that you did not rescue yourself, Jesus rescued you. Living a redeemed life means that you live according to God’s will, not your own. You did not redeem yourself, therefore, you do not own your life. And thank God for that!
“[Jesus Christ] gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father…”
Galatians 1:4
Living a Rescued Life
It seems to be that no matter where you look these days, someone is always trying to prove to the world that they can be independant and do not need others to help them do anything. But, according to the Word, this is backwards thinking. Jesus did not mean for us to rescue ourselves from any situation we find ourselves in. His very presence on earth shows us that Jesus was very serious about the rescuing part of His purpose. He was so serious about rescuing us that He was dying to rescue us.
John 15:13 tells us, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” First off, you are called friends of Jesus because He died for you. Secondly, He died to rescue you because He loves you. God never meant for you to try to figure things out on your own. A lot of people think they have to do whatever they can on their own and not turn to others, or even Jesus, until they have exhausted all their other avenues. That is not living a rescued life.
If you have never done it before, it can look hard to do, but I promise you that it is not hard to live a rescued life. Very simply, go to Jesus with your problem/situation and give it to Him fully, and see what He does with it in His own timing. Do not pick it back up and try to think of other ways to handle it. Let it go.
Living rescued means you know two things: 1) you know you cannot handle whatever problem has come upon you, 2) you know who can handle it. It really is that simple to live a rescued life.
Living a Redeemed Life
This one might take some getting used to, but I believe with a lot of practice you can do it! Living a redeemed life is all about presence. Or, present, really.
“I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”
Isaiah 44:22
This verse tells you everything you need to know about living redeemed. Only one instruction, so not too complicated: 1) return to Jesus.
Every time you go out into the world, you will surely find something that means to break you or tear you down or keep you from living the fullest life God meant for you to live. It is inevitable if you are living for Jesus. And each time something comes at you, you will need to remember that you are not as helpless as the enemy hopes you believe you are. You have a redeemer! All He asks you to do, if you wander, is return to Him.
If you forget He is there, return to Him. If you forget to ask Him before you jump, return to Him. If you speak before you think, or pray, return to Him. If you try to fulfill your needs by any means other than Him, return to Him. If you find yourself so far off the narrow path you are not even sure how you got to where you are today, return to Him. That is all He requires. It takes less than a minute to stop and turn yourself around and return to Jesus.
And do not worry about the path you were on when you returned to Him, you are not going that way anymore. Listen to His prompting, He is there to rescue and redeem you and bring you back into right relationship with HIm. Always.
Just because that little girl and crazy teenager did not start her life the way she should have did not mean I had to live in the wasted years forever. The Lord met me where I was at and He gently nudged me back to life within His will and He gave me a new purpose. And if He will do it for me, He will do it for you, too. No one is ever too far gone to turn to Jesus and live the rescued and redeemed life He meant for us all.
I would love to hear your story about how Jesus has shown up for you and helped you to live rescued and redeemed! Comment below, share on my Facebook page, or simply reply to my email and let me know the ways Jesus is showing you how to live rescued and redeemed. God Bless!