What Does Easter Mean to You?

As I (Erica) was trying to think of what to write for this Easter blog... and think about what Easter really means to me, personally, I came across Romans 6 in my reading for today in my "One Year Bible." And I don't think that it's a coincidence... but rather a "God-incidence" as my mom always says, or a "God wink."

You see, Romans 6 literally changed my life when I read it one day in 2004. It is my "life verse," as some may call it. Because when I read this passage that day, I finally saw the truth and the reality that we are all slaves to either God or Satan. There is no middle ground, no in-between. You serve one or the other. Romans 6:16 says, "Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous and holy living." And that day, I realized that the life I had been living was definitely not controlled by God, so it had to be the latter. I hadn't been fully obeying God... so who was I obeying? And that was possibly the most frightening, eye-opening, freeing realization of my life so far.

You may be thinking... what does this have to do with Easter? How is this a "God-wink" to Erica??? Well, because as I was trying to write this blog, I realized that Easter isn't as personal to me as I'd like it to be. I couldn't think of anything to write. And God had planned for me to read this passage today....

Romans 6:1-5 (NLT)

1 "Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was."

THIS is what Easter means to me... I am FREE! I am truly alive! I was once so lost, and so much under the control of sin & Satan that he had made me think I was just under the control of myself. But now I see the TRUTH! None of us ever really think of ourselves as being a slave to anything. But ask yourself this Easter season, "Who has control of my life?

Jesus died so that we can be free from sin... am I truly free or is there something in my life that has a stronger hold on me than Jesus?" There is NOTHING I want more in my life than for God to continue to be in control over it! Easter is the perfect time to remember the death of sin in our lives and to celebrate the resurrection of Christ in our lives! We cannot thank God enough for the gift of His Son, Jesus, so that we can have REAL LIFE in Him! I hope & pray that this truth becomes a reality for you this Easter, and that you experience the Presence of God and the power of the resurrection in your life as you discover what Easter means personally to you.