EVERWEST DEVOTIONAL #7 | Freedom in Christ

Scripture

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” – Ezekiel 36:26–27 (NIV)

Reflection

Growing up, on mission trips and at church, I frequently heard leaders ask us to “give your life fully over to Jesus.” But I never understood what that really meant. I often thought: What would it look like for me? Or better yet, how would it interfere with my life?

As a student-athlete at the University of Wisconsin, I believed fully giving my life to Christ meant restriction: no partying, no drinking, no “fun”, no doing what every college hockey player seemed to be doing. It felt unappealing. Parts of Christianity, at least in my mind, felt like a list of rules that would take the joy out of my life.

Change began when I started reading the Bible. Through His Word, God gently lifted the veil from my heart and allowed me to see Him for who He truly is and what He desires for us here on earth. As I spent more time in Scripture, it was as if God was excavating my heart, digging down to the deepest layers of who I was, exposing what needed to die, and uprooting the old self I had built my life upon. In its place, He began re-rooting me in Him. Sin that once felt normal became visible, and desires that once controlled me slowly began to loosen their grip. I still stumble and fall daily, and I always will, but my heart is being transformed. Day by day, God continues to reshape my desires, and I pray that He would align them more fully with His will rather than my own.

Ezekiel 36:26–27 captures this perfectly: God promises to give us a new heart, a new spirit, and the desire to follow Him. Transformation doesn’t come solely from our own effort, it comes from us giving our lives over to Jesus and allowing Him to work within us. As He changes our hearts, the life He wants for us becomes a desire, not a burden.

Now, fully giving my life to Christ is no longer something I fear or resist, it’s everything I want. My passion is to live in a way that honors and glorifies Him and to share that same peace and love with others. Will I fall short? Absolutely. Following Jesus requires intentional effort on our part, choosing obedience, opening His Word, and seeking Him in prayer. But the power to truly transform our hearts does not come from us, it comes from Him. He asks us to faithfully show up and surrender, and He will do the deep, lasting work within us.

Application

• Are there areas in your life where you're holding back from fully surrendering to Christ?
• What would it look like to let God transform your desires, not just follow rules?
• Start by inviting Him to change one area of your heart today, trust that He will move within you.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for offering a new heart and a new spirit. Help me surrender areas of my life that I still cling to and allow Your Spirit to transform my desires, my actions, and my thoughts. Teach me to follow You willingly, not out of obligation, but because my heart longs to honor You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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- Jake Bunz, Founder

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