This image right here… Ariel is signing away her freedom for a chance at romantic love.
She was the daughter of the King. The King had the power to grant her request. Yet, she made a deal with Sea Witch. In Ariel’s defense, she was hurt. She had this longing to learn about the surface dwellers longer than she could remember and now love is involved. But in her pain… in her hurt… She gave away her freedom.
We do this all the time! We have a longing in our hearts meant to be filled by a relationship with Christ, yet we quickly try to fill it with romantic love, success, stuff… Chase your dreams. Follow your heart. Rack up your credit card- it’s just the American way… We sign our freedom over to whatever we think will satisfy in the moment.
These temptations are nothing new. The people throughout the Bible are constantly being told to repent and turn back to the Lord. Why? Because they, too, gave themselves over to their flesh, to sin, to the schemes of the enemy. They signed their freedom away for a temporary moment of happiness.
“They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more. But this is not the way you came to know Christ.… (Ephesians 18-20)”
The good news is, the King has already taken your place. All you have to do is repent- turn back to Him!