Redemption

Redemption

I wonder how many of us truly understand redemption. It’s a term thrown around in many different ways. I wrote a blog called “Goya” in which I shared about my guitar. I shared that whatever your “Goya” is, it can sing again and be redeemed.

The gift of redemption is beautiful. Being redeemed to God from a life of sin. Having a relationship redeemed and brought back from destruction. Earning something back that was lost or sold. Having the opportunity of redemption is something that only humanity can experience in the way that we do.

We all have the opportunity at redemption, the question is, when you get your opportunity will you take it? There is a battle between the ideas of having to earn redemption and it being free. Our redemption from sin is there, it’s free for the taking. It is freely given and we can choose to take hold of it or not. But in other situations redemption costs. It takes work.

My spiritual redemption over the last 12 months has been both work and free. God has offered His redemption to me totally free and undeserved, but that being said, I have had to work for it. I have had to turn my life in a completely different direction. I have had to pivot my thinking, my behavior, my routine, from top to bottom. The redemption has been free, my accepting it has taken effort.

The blog “Goya” was the prelude to this. I spoke about how I abandoned my guitar for years, even decades, and it collected the dust of death. I wrote about how I returned to the Goya and it is once again singing. Growing up I was always part of worship teams in some way. Sometimes as the team leader and sometimes behind the leader playing and singing. From kids’ groups, high school, college, into early adulthood. But in my early 20’s I abandoned that calling and ignored it for almost 20 years.

When we are living outside of our calling things begin to decay and fall apart. Our drive for life begins to slow. Our energy and thirst to be better wanes and goes dry. Like a plant without water our lives begin to sag and wilt. When I started to play my guitar again and returned to the church and service, things began to wake up. I began to thirst again. I began to come alive. The leaves of my life started to turn green and lift. I was returning to one of the things I was created to do, and that brought renewed life.

That brought the opportunity for redemption.

The redemption was there. It was available. Churches and ministries all over the world have the need of those who have a heart to serve on their worship team. The freedom to worship and express my love to my savior, whenever I want to, is a freedom given by God and those who have fought and died for it. I could have joined a church and served on the worship team at any point in the last 20 years. The opportunity was there and God extending it to me was there through it all. As my actions and work turned the direction of my life, the redemption that was always sitting there came into focus.

The church that I have been attending the last 6 months has accepted my desire to serve on their worship team. Their requirement was only that I attend regularly for 6 months before playing on Sunday. Two weeks ago they invited me to start playing during service. I had not been on a stage, behind a microphone with my Goya over my shoulder, and plugged into a sound system for 20 YEARS! Leading up to it some folks asked me if I was nervous. I thought about it and realized I was not nervous, I was going home. I was going to one of the places I was called. I was created to worship, I was created to lead others in worship. I was not created to do that for me, but to give God praise and lead others. I was created for it so that God’s greatness and glory would be shown through me. I was returning to my calling.

After the first service I served on the stage I sat in my usual seat in the back of the church filled with overwhelming gratitude. Gratitude for the redemption God has freely offered me and the grace and strength to finally put in the work and make the changes in order to accept the redemption. To accept the second chance to go home. As I wrote before, I am the Prodigal Son, it was time to go home to the Father. Step after long step I have returned home. I have returned to be redeemed by the Father. To be redeemed as His son. A new man.

Redemption is held in our Creator’s hand. It is free to take. But do not fool yourself, it takes work. It takes choices. It takes turning your life the other direction, towards the creator, and reaching out and accepting it. That turning around and reaching out can be painful. It can cost you a great deal. It can seem like the most difficult thing you have ever done (trust me, I have been living it for almost a full year). But I guarantee you, it is worth it. It is beautiful. The newness of life will shine and be bright and whatever your Goya is, it will once again sing.

Redemption for God’s glory is hard, but it’s beautiful.

And with that, I will take another 24.