Shackles Removed

I was worshipping God this morning with Chris Tomlin's song "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)". The first verse says,

"I once was lost"
How often do I live like I'm still lost!? ...but I am no longer lost. I need to live in the freedom of knowing I've been found.

"I once was blind"
...but I am no longer blind. He's given me eyes to see what needs to be seen. Will I look through His eyes?

"My chains are gone"
...I am no longer bound. I remember an analogy I heard once about how elephants are trained and controlled. I found this description online:

"If you have ever gone to the circus you’ve seen this “elephant trainers” principle in action. By that I mean the huge two-ton elephant shackled by one leg. At the end of the shackle is a small wooden stake dug into the ground. Hard to believe but true, that elephant is being limited by that short chain and the small stake. Obviously the elephant has enough power to free itself and roam around as he pleases. Yet the elephant has been conditioned to accept this limitation. You see as a youngster the shackle placed on his leg was able to hold him in place. After tugging on it for a certain period of time his leg became bruised. This created enough pain in him that he stopped attempting his own freedom. Once he accepts the limitation imposed on him it becomes a permanent belief, or in his case, a conditioned reaction. Now as he grows into adulthood, he has the power to easily pull the stake out of the ground, but his conditioning has taught him that the effort will not only be futile, it will be painful as well."*

I've also heard that the elephant's behavior remains controlled even after the shackle is completely removed...and he responds as if he is still shackled.

It occurred to me that I all too often live as if I'm still bound and shackled even though I have been freed by Christ Himself. I need to live like I've been freed.

If you have the song, or any version of Amazing Grace, I'd encourage you to put it on, turn it up, and remember, if you've accepted His gift of grace, how deeply amazing it is.

Our chains are gone!
We've been set free!
Let's live in the freedom of Christ today!


*http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Martinez1.html