Freedom: America's Birthday

It's America's birthday and I've been thinking about freedom. In my book, The Blossoming of the Soul, when I listed my devotional titles alphabetically, I discovered that I had written two devotionals entitled “Freedom”. I guess I think about freedom a lot. Recently I've been thinking about freedom as freedom from attachments and needs. Unforgiveness is a form of enslavement because it is an attachment to the unforgiven person. The person may live in another country, but you are attached to him if you can't forgive him. Hatred is an attachment. You are enslaved to anyone you hate or have chronic anger toward. If you need to see someone hurt, perhaps the way you have been hurt by them, you are not free; you are attached to that need. And it will drag you down and darken your life. Whatever you need from another person is an attachment that diminishes freedom. You are attached to what you need from that person. It could be for them to love you better. I see many people in my counseling practice who are trying to get someone to love them better. I have never seen this to be a happy process. There is a verse in the Bible that says “God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” [Phil 4:19]. I have discovered that if I take this verse seriously, and stop trying to get people to meet my needs, I feel much freer. The need for more money is an attachment that diminishes freedom. Of course, any addiction is a form of enslavement. Fear prevents one from feeling free. Communion with God [prayer], love and gratitude, according to the Bible, are the antidotes to fear. And we can always pray, love and be thankful if we are mindful.

In our beloved nation we have experienced unprecedented political freedom. But we see that political freedom does not guarantee soul freedom—the inner felt experience of freedom. Only spiritual maturity—growing in Christ—can supply that inner felt experience. Only Jesus can deliver us from the oppressive forces of this world. Until we allow Him to do so, we will never feel free; and we will likely blame someone for it; or we will be trying to get someone or something to be different so that we can feel free.

God wants His people free. And that means that they should FEEL free—not just know that they are.

Look deeply into whatever oppresses you. Whatever it is, Christ has delivered you from it, destroyed it, or overcome it. And you are “In Him”.

God please bless America; and let freedom ring! The freedom of Christ our Lord Who came to “set at liberty those who are oppressed.” [Lk4:18]

Isaiah 58:6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”

Break every yoke!!