Unchained

This past Thursday, a victory was won. Hearts had great reason to rejoice. And a step was taken by our nation to end the enslavement of thousands in our country. This past Thursday, Congress passed the renewal of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which expired in September 2011. This act aids in the prosecution of traffickers, imposing stiff penalties, and offers vital services for helping victims rebuild their lives. The issue had been put off in Congress for too long, and action against the growing issue of slavery in our country had been long over due. So when the act was passed, there was much reason to rejoice and celebrate the progress made by our Government in this movement to end modern day slavery. The bondage of the thousands in our country and the millions across the globe is a critical issue. It demands our awareness. It demands our attention. And it demands our action. The step taken by Congress is tremendous and wonderful. But it cannot stop there. Each and every one of us in every sphere of influence is called to act on bringing justice and freedom to the enslaved. And each and every of us is able to if we only step up and sacrifice for the enslaved.

We can be apart of bringing freedom to the 27 million that are physically in bondage today. But freedom can also be brought to us as well.

All of us have been or are in bondage to some oppressing force in our life. Whether it be our decisions, our addictions, our circumstances or our daily battles, we all know what it is for our hearts to be chaffed by the chains of this world. To be enslaved and in bondage to something is one of the heaviest burdens to bear, and is one that too many bear on their own, that too many carry to the point of breaking. Day in and day out, the chains grow heavier, and fresh wounds are made as we are worn. It's so easy to feel hopeless, to believe the lie that freedom is an infeasible thing in the shadow of our oppressions.

But there is a very really hope for you. There is restoration for you. And there is freedom for your soul. No matter how great the chains. No matter how deep the wounds. There is healing. And there is freedom.

"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.' So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir....It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 4:4-7 & 5:1)

Let this word soak into your soul. Open up your heart to Christ and let Him bring healing to your wounds and freedom from your chains. Let His mercy cover you and bring you peace. Let this truth of His freedom sustain you. And walk confident, not in yourself, but in God, and delight in your identity as a child and an heir of God. There is sweet joy in the victory that comes in finding freedom for our souls in Christ.

I hope this brings you freedom, joy and a sustaining peace throughout your day :)

And if you want to find out more about how you can bring freedom and justice to those enslaved in human trafficking, below are some organizations you can explore that will show you how to be a voice and a catalyst in the fight to end slavery.

http://www.love146.org/

http://www.ijm.org/

http://www.polarisproject.org/

http://www.freedomplaceus.org/

http://www.thea21campaign.org/

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

https://www.freetheslaves.net/SSLPage.aspx

Madelynn