No Longer Defined by Chains: The Transformative Power of Being Seen
No Longer Defined by Chains: The Transformative Power of Being Seen
Have you ever felt defined by a label that wasn’t yours? Maybe it's a past mistake, a job title you used to hate, or a cruel word spoken to you years ago. You’ve moved on, but that old identity still tries to whisper in your ear.
If so, you have a shared experience with Hagar, a woman whose entire existence was initially defined by one painful, limiting word: slave.
Hagar’s story, found in Genesis, is a profound reminder that God personally intervenes for the marginalized. Her journey shows us that the moment God sees you, your identity shifts forever—from a victim of circumstance to a recipient of divine promise.
1. The Weight of the Wrong Label
Hagar was an Egyptian slave in the household of Abram and Sarai. She was powerless, but her situation became devastating when Sarai decided to exploit her.
In a desperate, human attempt to "help" God fulfill His promise of a son, Sarai turned Hagar into a means to an end. As we read in Genesis 16:3, Hagar was used as a commodity. She had no choice in this plan; she was simply a tool in someone else’s hands.
When Hagar conceived, the power dynamic shifted, leading Sarai to mistreat her so cruelly that Hagar did the only thing she could: she ran.
Hagar ran into the wilderness, fleeing not just a task, but an unbearable pain. Her flight was a moment of utter brokenness, heading toward what likely looked like despair and death. Many of us can relate to that feeling of running from a situation that has become too heavy, too painful, or too unjust.
Ask yourself: What past label, mistreatment, or expectation of others still tries to define you, even though you’re trying to run toward freedom?
2. The Divine Interruption: Finding El Roi
When Hagar was at her absolute lowest—alone, without provision, and headed toward a brutal end—she wasn't forgotten. God sought her out.
The Angel of the Lord found her near a spring in the desert and asked the simple, affirming question: "Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" (Genesis 16:8).
Notice how the Angel addresses her: He calls her by her title ("slave of Sarai"), acknowledging her status, but He engages her directly, recognizing her personhood and her pain.
After receiving a promise of descendants and guidance for her return (a hard but necessary command for her son’s safety), Hagar did something revolutionary. She gave God a new name based on her experience:
"She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: 'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.' " — Genesis 16:13
By naming God El Roi (The God Who Sees), Hagar was declaring that her true worth was no longer tied to her owner or her circumstances. Her status was irrelevant; her value was affirmed by the fact that the Creator of the Universe sees and acknowledges her.
3. Your Freedom Has Already Been Purchased
Hagar’s story perfectly foreshadows the spiritual freedom we find in Christ. The God who delivered Hagar from earthly slavery is the same God who delivers us from the bondage of sin and the tyranny of past labels.
The Apostle Paul uses Hagar’s story in Galatians to highlight the profound difference between living under the Law (slavery) and living in Grace (freedom).
If you are in Christ, your identity is not rooted in your past performance, your title, or your mistakes. It is rooted in your adoption:
"So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." — Galatians 4:7
Through the finished work of Jesus, you have been purchased out of slavery to sin and into God's family. Your new identity is defined by sonship and inheritance—not bondage or mistreatment.
The labels that once defined you cease to matter in Christ: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28).
Your past history, social status, or the cruel words others have spoken cannot diminish the immense value and purpose God has placed on you.
Living as El Roi's Free People
Hagar was forced to return to a difficult situation, but she went back with a new identity—a woman who had met God and knew His promise. We are called to live the same way: free from the internal and external chains of the past.
If you’ve been defined by a past failure, a cruel word, or a limiting label, surrender that old identity today.
Replace the old label with Hagar's truth: "I am seen by El Roi, and I am no longer a slave, but God's heir."
Challenge: How does knowing you are an "heir" (Galatians 4:7) change how you approach the struggles and labels you face this week?