As most of you know, I am a thinker. I can’t help but think about how things are and why things are the way that they are. Even after I have tackled a subject from countless angles, I continue to think about it. I am not sure if it’s just me or if anyone else does this as well. It can be a little exhausting.

            Well, since we celebrated the 4^th of July yesterday, I couldn’t help but start thinking about this country and what it stands for. This led me to think about the beliefs the United States was founded on. In the end, I was left thinking about one word. Freedom. One of the biggest things the United States is known for is freedom. The fact that we are a free nation and that we fight very hard to keep those freedoms.

            This, of course, got me thinking about what freedom itself is. There seem to be many different definitions of what freedom is, depending on where you look. Overall, freedom is the power to determine action without restraint. Most people believe that the Christian life is limited in what you can do. Once you become a Christian, you are obligated to follow rules and you don’t get to do whatever you want to do. It is because of this that most people prefer to steer clear of the Christian life.

            In my case, I was always a very lazy person. I loved sleep and doing nothing. If something came up that obligated me to do something, I hated it. So, when I would go to church and they would talk about how we needed to go forth and spread His word, I didn’t want to. It would mean that I had to get up and do something. I didn’t want to do anything that would interrupt my doing nothing.

            Around 2014 there was a shift in my life. It was at this time that I felt the need and the want to look for God. I started attending my church’s youth group and I came to realize something. I was being held captive by my laziness and my selfishness. I was letting those two things dictate my life and because of that, I was never really happy. My eyes were opened to how my life really was. All this was not revealed to me by a pastor, but by the Spirit.

“Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” – 2 Corinthians 3:16-17

            When you truly give your life over to God, you see things in a different light. The reason people feel like they are being restricted is that all those things that they want to do have a hold on their life. They don’t want to give them up because they believe without them they can’t be happy. What they don’t realize is that those things only give temporary happiness and in the end they hinder our lives. When we truly give our lives to Him, we are set free from those burdens.

            I can tell you that I have never been so busy in my life. I have two jobs, I work on my blog, I have my wifely duties, and with this expansion project now, I am always working on something. However, instead of feeling exhausted and upset that I can’t just do nothing, I have never been more joyful. I have never felt so free as I do now. Once I decided to live my life for Him, I was set free.

“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” – Galatians 5:3

            Jesus came so that we may be set free. We just need to choose Him over ourselves. Maybe to some that may sound confusing. Trust me, this idea confused me a lot before. But you see, it is our selfish nature that keeps us from Him. Choosing Him is not an obligation, it is a choice. It is a choice I made not too long ago and it is a choice I am glad I made. His grace has liberated me.

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” – Romans 6:14

            One of the things that God has commanded us to do is to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. That is why I am here. That is why I am sharing this with you today. Even if we don’t know each other, I love you. You are my brothers and sisters in Christ and I want to tell you about His love for you. It is a love beyond anything we could ever understand. It is His love that sets us free.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;” – Isaiah 61:1