His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. (NIV)

Ever been stuck at the airport? Each time I fly, I pray that everything runs smoothly: the plane is in tip-top shape, the weather is as clear as a blue lake’s reflection, and the pilots and staff make it to the aircraft, well-rested and on time. There is so much that can go wrong when traveling and almost none of it we can control. It's like holding your breath as you place one domino right next to the previous one, hoping it all doesn’t gracefully cascade to the ground.

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On one trip, our family was flying back from Florida when our incoming plane couldn’t land due to fog. Instead of landing on time, the plane diverted to the next safest airport until the fog cleared. Of course, this was the one domino that caused all the other dominos to topple. After missing our connection, we were stuck queued up at the ticket counter right behind the other 50 people with canceled flights.

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Because my husband travels for work, he accumulates airline points that give him special privileges, one of which includes a direct number to an actual person from the airlines. No waiting. No pushing multiple numbers to get to the right person. My husband was able to explain our situation to someone who had the power to do something about it. Don’t we all want to have help at our disposal, a special number we can just dial up to Heaven?

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You may not have special privileges with an airline, but through faith in Jesus, you have a direct line to your Heavenly Father. The truth that God made a way for us to stand in his presence is so astounding that it even confounds the angels (1 Peter 1:12)!

When I find myself in a mental battle, though, my shame and guilt make me not want to turn to God on my direct line. It’s easier to plaster on a smile and say that everything is “fine!” even though, like dominos, I'm slowly toppling. I struggle to have confidence in the privilege Jesus affords because that truth isn’t the loudest voice I hear: it's the lies that I’m not good enough to approach God.

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Just the other day I was having a rough morning when I bumped into a friend at the grocery store. Instead of plastering on a smile, in near tears I told her I wasn’t doing so hot. Because this was a near and dear friend, I could remove the plaster and show her the ugly. I went to the direct line. And in that moment, I was reminded that God, like my true friend, wants to show me grace and love. When God sees me, he doesn’t see the ugly, he sees new life given through his son, Jesus.

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The more I walk out my faith, the more I realize I know this truth but sometimes have a hard time believing it. I know that I am loved and forgiven, but do I really believe I am worthy of it? This Scripture becomes so powerful when I remember that God revealed his plan of salvation through Jesus to the whole cosmos. I’m not the one in charge of carefully laying the dominos out - God is. Angels, demons, things unseen cannot stand or go against this truth. The Lord has redeemed me, and, if the demons know this, I should have confidence in it too.

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What would it look like to come to the Father in freedom and confidence today, knowing he has the power and authority to actually impact your situation? What lies are chaining you down, restricting the truth that you are valued and worthy in God’s presence? We can have freedom and confidence before the Big Guy above, and when we forget that truth and power, we have the church and one another to point us back to Christ, the One who truly tells us who we are.

Father, I praise you that I can approach you with freedom and confidence, that I am forgiven through your son Jesus. Lord, show me where I hold back and where I lack faith in approaching you with freedom. Lord, remind me who I am in Christ. Amen.