True Freedom

Americans value their freedom, but few of us are truly free. Many times we're weighed down with worries, responsibilities, and a life far from ideal. Often people try to make things better by working harder, accumulating more possessions, or finding people who will love them.

Yet, the only real freedom is found in Jesus Christ. He not only died in order to free us from our sins if we will only believe on Him, but living a life surrendered to Him is how to be truly free. When we follow His Word and will and act in a Christ-like way that is the antithesis of what we would normally do, we experience a unique type of feeling that is almost impossible to describe. But how freeing it is!

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another (Galatians 5:13).

Just this week, for example, a friend that turned her back on me and wouldn't even speak for almost a year, called me. She tried to blame her actions on someone else and said I had done nothing wrong. I didn't hold a grudge, didn't treat her in a similar way she had treated me, and I opened my heart up to her again. I knew right away this wasn't coming from me but Christ working in me. How freeing!

Finding Christ, letting Him have His way in you and with you, is the way to true happiness, true freedom. Let's recognize this today and act on it. On this Fourth of July week, let's help lead our country back to actually being "one nation under God," so that we all can be truly free.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36).

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