It’s funny how a lot of free people have done jail time, and a lot of enslaved people are out all night “doing whatever they want.” Actually, it’s not that funny. It’s proof that the word “freedom” is kind of hard to understand.
So many things we do in the name of “freedom” actually happen because we’re slaves to something else – fear, insecurity, pride, stubbornness. We make masters out of money, sex, power, and addiction, controlled by our appetites and desire for more, bossed around by questions like, “Do you like me? Does my life matter? When will I ever have enough?”
On the other hand, we all have areas of life where our freedom appears to be restricted. Work. Family. Church. We feel “stuck” in these relationships, like we need to break free. I believe that’s one of the biggest lies in this world; in reality this is where God has hidden the keys to freedom.
There’s an old hymn “Blessed Assurance” that has this line: “Perfect submission, perfect delight.” I bet a lot of people would read that and think it’s a typo. How can submission be delight?
Let me put it this way: I could be anywhere I want right now – in Vegas, in Paris, in a bar down the street. But I can honestly say, as a totally FREE person: There’s no place I’d rather be. I’m not saying that as a cheesy church answer; seriously right here is where I feel most free.
“I’m no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God.”
That’s not a typo either – it’s yet another way of defining freedom. Whether we’re in jail or at work or at home with our families, there’s no place that can take away the freedom of God’s kids. I pray that you feel boundless like that.
Happy 100th Birthday, Mr. Mandela.
“Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.” –1 Corinthians 9:19
Dave Brubaker is Newsong’s Communications Pastor and movie lover.
