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, paraphrase) 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.
