On this 4th of July, I took some time to reflect on freedom and its meaning in our individual lives.
Of course, July 4th is the day the United States celebrates its independence.
Let me tell you that almost every day, I give thanks to God for our country. Sometimes, those, who were born here, take the blessing of living in a free nation for granted.
For someone who has come from one of the developing countries to live in the U.S., it’s a real blessing to live in a free country.
The question though I have for us all today is this:
“Are we truly free?”
Whether you are a believer or not, freedom is a universal human need in case you did not know.
Freedom helps you live happily
[bctt tweet=”No freedom, no happiness. ” username=””]
I love the way the Bible talks about happiness.
Two things that should help us be happy:
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- Freedom is a choice we have to make every day.
- Freedom a personal choice we make to connect with God, the source of our happiness.
[bctt tweet=”Even though living in a free nation, sometimes, it’s possible that we feel no happiness at times (or a lot of times).” username=””] Don’t we?
That does not, however, negate all the efforts of our government and other leaders are doing to help us continue to be a free nation. I’m very thankful for our President and everyone else in leadership, and pray for them as often as possible.
I also invite you to do the same whether you agree with what they do or not.
Everything about freedom comes down to its foundation.
If the foundation (or source) of your personal freedom is the government, your happiness may depend on who’s leading the country and the values they bring with their leadership.
[bctt tweet=”The reality is that humans will always let you down, one way or another.” username=””]
God isn’t human to lie or change God’s mind (see Numbers 23: 19). God is faithful to God’s word. What God promises, God will fulfill it in God’s timing.
Freedom helps you overcome sin or evil of any form
When we think of sin, it doesn’t always have to do with injustices and evil things we do to each other.
[bctt tweet=”Sin also has to do with how you use your body and resources God has given you.” username=””]
Freedom enables you to make choices and decisions that allow you to honor God in the ways you use your body, time, and other resources.
It’s not something that you get a hand on overnight. [bctt tweet=”Freedom is a journey, which is grounded in your relationship with Jesus Christ.” username=””]
Jesus Christ, who never sinned, frees us from sin as a result of believing and receiving Him, as our personal Lord and Savior.
Freedom changes our identity
As I pointed out above, our freedom is a choice we have to make every day. It’s a choice we make to believe in Jesus Christ.
[bctt tweet=”These choices we make daily, and out of our freedom, define our habits, character and lives. They become such crucial components of our identity. ” username=””]
Jesus Christ is the truth, the way, and the life (see John 14: 6). He, himself, said once that knowing the truth will set us free (read John 8: 32).
There you have three very crucial needs for growth, success, and happiness, which we find in Jesus Christ:
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- Life (health, wealth, relationships, influence, etc.)
- Truth (the answer to a question like, “who am I?” etc.)
- Way (clarity, where to go from here, etc.)
In conclusion
Your freedom isn’t dependent on your environment, even though where we live is still essential for us to freely express ourselves. Freedom starts in you, and it is a choice you make in your heart daily. It comes out of your relationship with the One who can set us free from anything and anyone, God. As a result, and because you’re free, you can also free others and influence your environment.
