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]
With July 4th just yesterday, 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 continue to 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 teenage sons, Tracy is
an administrative assistant at Oakwood and leads a great group of Junior High girls.
