The Meaning of
Freedom
By Tracy Smith
“Now the Lord is
the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
2
Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
We
know where the Spirit of the Lord is
Where
the Spirit of the Lord is
There
is liberty
We
know living in your freedom
living
in your freedom, we see your glory
We
know where the Spirit of the Lord is
Where
the Spirit of the Lord is
There
is liberty. [2]
As
the July 4th holiday approaches, I find myself thinking about the
word freedom and what is means. The Miriam-Webster Online Dictionary lists many
meanings, but this is the one that caught my eye, “c : the
quality or state of being exempt or released, usually from something onerous.” [1]
In
relation to our country, our forefathers wanted to be released from the
constraints England was forcing upon us as one of their colonies. These men saw
belonging to England as something onerous and something they needed to be free
from. Because of this belief, they took the necessary and hard step to declare
war and fight for their freedom. Due to this strength and bravery, the United
States celebrates July 4th as our Independence Day.
In
relation to our spiritual life, the above definition of freedom also applies.
We all have something in our life that weighs us down and robs us of our
freedom. Galatians
5:1 (The Message) says, “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So
take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.” Jesus Christ took the necessary and hard step
to die for our sins and to set us free.
As
we celebrate the holiday of our nation’s independence, let us be thankful for
the freedoms we enjoy in the United Stated…and the freedoms we enjoy as a child
of God!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Will you spend some time in prayer today
thanking Him for the freedom we have in Him?
2. If you
know a member of the military, will you thank them for the sacrifices they make
to keep our country free?
FURTHER READING:
[2]
Tomlin, Chris. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is.” Passion: Awakening, Six Step Records, 2010.
Along
with being a wife and mother to two boys, Tracy is an administrative assistant
at Oakwood, serves on the Women’s Ministry Special Events Team and leads a
great group of Junior High girls.
