Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Freedom From Fear

The word “freedom” carries with it the idea of being free from any restraints or not being bound by any regulations, rules or requirements. Many long to live a life with no obligations, no opposition or no oppression.

Yet all of life is wrapped with boundaries of one nature or another. Highways are divided by traffic lanes, stop signs, caution signs, turning lanes and many other constraints. Every athletic contest or sporting event has specific lines, certain types of equipment or clothing and regulations to control the activities of the participants. Even something as simple as boiling water has specific criteria.

Rarely, if ever, do we pause to consider all of life’s limits. We take for granted the ability to move about at will, make independent choices and manage our own affairs. But does moving and choosing and managing make us free? Not really. They still involve constraints in the final analysis. Where, then, do we find freedom?

Paul said, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” God, through Christ, offers us the priceless gift of living each day free from destroying ourselves and free for being who He wants us to be and doing what He has created us to do. But we must allow His Spirit to direct us along the path He has laid out for us. We can only be free if we have accepted the forgiveness of God through Christ.

Prayer: Lord, may we not fool ourselves into thinking we are free if we are enslaved by sin and have not been forgiven. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Scripture for Today: 2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

No comments:

Post a Comment