You Are Free Indeed
Today, all of us have a door of opportunity, whether we see it or not. God is calling all of us in our walk with him. Maybe there’s a place of service that God wants you to fill, or someone he wants you to reach out to. And if you feel the nudging of the Holy Spirit, if God is placing an opportunity before you, you have two choices: you can seize the moment, or you can make excuses for why you can’t listen to the call. But if we want to be freed to start living the life God has planned for us, we need to begin capitalizing on our God-given opportunities.
But that’s not always easy. In order to be freed to start living the life God has planned for us, we have to remove our stumbling blocks and learn to minimize the negative voices that chatter around us. When Bartimaeus, the blind beggar who was healed by Jesus, cried out for help, “Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet.” The crowd had already stereotyped him. In their eyes, he’d never be anything more than a blind beggar who didn’t deserve Jesus’ attention. But Bartimaeus refused to be denied the healing he needed.
But it wasn’t just Bartimaeus’ cries for help that healed him. It was his faith that triggered Jesus’ healing power. Bartimaeus knew exactly what he wanted, and he wasn’t afraid to call out in faith in order to get it, no matter what opposition he faced. In Jeremiah 33:3 the Lord said, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Through prayer, we have that same privilege. Paul also tells us in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
I pray that the homeless and suffering in our community become filled with the spirit of Bartimaeus. I pray that they’ll cry out to Jesus Christ for the gift of healing. I pray that they cry out and that they don’t give up until they receive what they need, because Jesus is promising help and healing to those that ask. And I also pray that when they cry out, we hear them and help them, even when it’s inconvenient and uncomfortable.
When we’re criticized or when we face negativity from those around us, we need to be strong enough to follow the example of Bartimaeus. Take the criticism and use it. Grow from it. Don’t let it hold you back. Seize the opportunities placed before you by God, and don’t be a slave to the negative criticism of others, because Christ has freed you, so you are free indeed.