Author: Kristen Kansiewicz, LMHC

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Genesis 3

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 3 before reading the devotional below.

Before we explore Genesis 3, we have to go back to Genesis 1:26, where God gives humans authority over “all the wild animals on the earth.” With that in mind, notice in Genesis 3:1 it says, “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made.” It’s a complicated backstory — and we only know bits and pieces of it from other parts of the Bible — but Satan (also known as the Devil or Lucifer) shows up here as a serpent. This is an important detail because of the authority God had given humans over the animals. It’s no accident that Satan showed up as a lesser creature.

Why does all this matter? Because Adam and Eve had freedom, and they also had authority. They could have thrown the serpent out of the Garden. They could have commanded him to shut his mouth and stop his lies. Humanity lost everything when we handed our authority over to the very thing we were supposed to rule over. What’s worse, we keep doing the same thing every single day.

Here’s your freedom for today:

You have been given great power.

Some may say it’s not fair that Adam and Eve ruined the world and we all have to suffer for it. Perhaps you think you could have done better. Ultimately, Adam and Eve represent the weakness of us all. And Jesus also chose to represent us all. Romans 5:12-19 explains this well. God’s original command gave humanity authority over creation. When we handed our authority over to Satan, he began to rule (2 Corinthians 4:4 calls him “the god of this world”). However, Jesus’ life on earth and resurrection from death turned the tables. In Jesus we now have power and authority restored to us. Too often, we give away our power just like Adam and Eve did. We believe lies (“Does God really love you? Did God really say that?”) and we repeat exactly what Adam and Eve did. In Jesus we have the authority to tell Satan to leave us alone — let’s make use of it.

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Genesis 2

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 2 before reading the devotional below.

Do you ever feel like this world isn’t what it’s supposed to be? Do you feel like you were made for something more? Genesis 2 helps us see God’s original vision for our home: a perfect place filled with the richest of resources and a sense of purpose. This chapter in the Bible is perhaps more critical to the Gospel story than you might realize. Without it, we cannot understand how God intended us to be.

Verses 4-8 give us a sense that there was time passing during creation, as opposed to God’s creative work being over in a literal week. Plants weren’t growing yet, and there were no people to cultivate the land. If you are reading this as a science or history book, you’ll be confused by this point. Genesis 1 describes God’s creation of humans, and then Genesis 2 does it again. Let’s remember that this book paints a broader picture of why we are here and who God is.

Here’s your freedom for today:

God has more for you than what you can see right now.

God’s heart for people is evident from the start. He wanted us to have everything we needed, not just to survive but to thrive. He created the world with us in mind, and gave us a meaningful role in managing the rest of creation. He gave us each other for companionship and help. He gave us limits that would protect us from harm. He gave us freedom to act, which as we will see tomorrow was the riskiest gift of all.

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Genesis 1

Take a moment to read the entire chapter of Genesis 1 before reading the devotional below.

Some people new to the Bible think that they should start at the beginning, just as you would a regular book. If you choose to go that route, you’ll start right here at Genesis 1. It’s the story of God’s creation of the world. Humans have asked the question, “How did we get here?” for a pretty long time. And there are some striking similarities in the answers of various cultures.

It’s important to know that the Bible is not a science book. Rather, it is the word of God in which he reveals himself to mankind. If you’ve been reading these devotionals for a while, you’ll know that I’m always coming back to one thing: what does God want us to know about himself in this story?

Here’s your freedom for today:

God’s love is reflected in his creativity.

I don’t know if the world was created in seven literal days or if the story we read in Genesis 1 captures something more. Honestly, I don’t think it matters, and I’m not big on debates because I don’t think God and science are fighting. What I do believe is that the Bible presents us with a clear story of a loving and creative God who intentionally set a world in motion with a purpose and a plan. We’re not here by accident, and I personally think it takes a lot more faith to believe that life sparked from some kind of crazy scientific mishap. Truth is something that God creates and science discovers. So the real question is this: are you on a quest to discover the truth wherever it lies?

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Day 21 – 21 Days to Freedom

Galatians 5:26 

“Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.”

One of the things I love most about these final verses in Galatians 5 is the sense of togetherness about them. Verse 24 described what a follower of Christ is, followed by the words “let us” in verse 25 when Paul talked about following the Spirit. Today’s verse starts with another “let us” — almost as if we are covenanting together about how we will live the Christian life in community.

If we were to use this verse to make a corporate agreement about how we will follow the Spirit together, what would that covenant look like? Probably something like this:

1.  No one is better than anyone else in this community. Let’s make sure we keep that in mind and stay humble together.

2. You know my buttons and I know yours. Let’s not push them.

3. When we notice awesome qualities or things about each other, let’s celebrate those instead of becoming jealous or comparing ourselves.

How would your life be more free if you lived with others like that? How could you follow this covenant keeping it focused on connection with the Spirit rather than turning it into (yet another) rules-based system?

Here’s your freedom for today: building community takes time and intentionality, but it is how the Christian life was meant to be lived.

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Here’s your freedom for today: building community takes time and intentionality, but it is how the Christian life was meant to be lived. A covenant has to be sought after and valued by two or more people equally for it to work. We can never force this type of lifestyle onto anyone else, just as God never forces his way into our lives. If you don’t know anyone who would connect with you in these ways, start by using it as a template for your own behavior as you interact with others throughout your day. Look for people who are living their life in a similar way and put as much effort as you can into developing those relationships.

 

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Day 20 – 21 Days to Freedom

Galatians 5:25

“Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

Every morning at 5:25 a few friends and I have a Power Prayer Minute. We don’t gather, we just pray for that one minute from wherever we are. There is something really awesome about knowing that we are united in the Spirit and our prayers are happening simultaneously. Why did we pick 5:25? Because of today’s verse. Every single day I remind myself that living by the Spirit means following his leading. And not just trying to hear something from God that makes me feel warm and fuzzy. This verse says we are to follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 100%. Not even 99.9%. Total. All. Every part.

Often people hear this and their response is, “Well, I can’t be perfect so what does this really mean?” Remember from the rest of Galatians 5 that striving to be perfect is a rules-based plan to fail. This is not about being perfect. It is entirely about living by the Spirit, receiving his fruit and letting it carry us into completely new places. Let me rephrase this verse: “Since rules don’t save us, let’s not listen to rules anymore. Let’s stay so connected with the character and nature of God that we are carried into doing exactly what he would do.” Living by the Spirit means we reject the law (or the American Christian subculture) as our Savior. Following the Spirit’s leading is our new guide for how to live.

Here’s your freedom for today: God does not resort to pressure tactics — he invites, welcomes and embraces.

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Here’s your freedom for today: God does not resort to pressure tactics — he invites, welcomes and embraces. Some people are afraid to stop striving for perfect, rule-driven standards because they afraid they will somehow backslide if they don’t keep this pressure on themselves. What would happen in your life if you took God’s approach with yourself? What would it be like if you were kind and gentle and loving to yourself, flowing out of your relationship with the Holy Spirit? What if you were simply free to live in a way that helped you emotionally breathe? Maybe this word is just for me today, but I already feel lighter. I can carry a whole lot less on my plate if I just focus on who God is and where he’s taking me.

What would it be like if you were kind and gentle and loving to yourself, flowing out of your relationship with the Holy Spirit?

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