Written By: Lanissa Reale
Freedom. A word that holds such power and value yet at the same time confusion. Freedom. Something that is supposed to promote and allow liberty is actually causing pain. Some may say, “I am so glad that I choose not to believe in or follow that because I feel so free and truly happy with my life!” But, let’s take a moment and remove all of the cultural masks we have created: the masks we’ve taken on because of our past, our fears, our parents, our rage or our confusion. Let’s take a moment and just be real, even if just for yourself, and ask yourself “what does FREEDOM really MEAN anyway?”.
Freedom by Websters Dictionary’s defintion is “Liberation from slavery or the restraint of the power of another”.
Freedom by Scripture’s definition comes from the Greek word Eleuthera which literally means “a state of freedom from slavery.”
What’s the difference in the two you ask? Well the first definition, and probably the one you refer to, means liberation from another. While scriptures definition means liberation from slavery by another AND yourself
If you ask me, most of the time the real core issue is not needing freedom from what others say or do but it is needing freedom from myself. Check your freedom. Do you think you are really free?
Friends we so often walk around living our lives by doing whatever we want, “breaking the paradigm” of cultures say so’s and we think we are free.
OR we are doing the “right things” and following the rules, acting appropriate in front of others yet not experiencing fullness of life and then when we get alone we are having a war on the inside of us. And we say we are living in freedom.
NEITHER OF THESE ARE TRUE FREEDOM. We have to ask ourselves the hard yet reality driven questions: are you truly full of joy? When no one else is looking or reading or liking or poking, are you absolutely sure that THIS is what life is all about. Or do you have the constant thought in the back of your head that there is more. “Oh maybe one day I’ll find our what it is”, “Maybe I have to have more of this and more of that to experience that real free life”… Or maybe you think it’s a fantasy and true freedom doesn’t even exist.
I’ve come to tell you, dear friend, that true freedom is more real than your very bones and it is FREELY available to you.
The freedom that scripture talks about is not a rule following, get your ducks in order, pretend to be perfect, get sucked in, freedom. True freedom is given not because of anything we have done but simply because of the love of God. He loved us so much that He sent his only son to earth to die for our sins that separated us from true freedom, so that we would NEVER be hindered by them any longer.
But Jesus didn’t just die for your sins, He died for you. He died so that you could be free from the strongest enemy and stronghold you will ever face: yourself. And this freedom that is offered when we accept what Christ did for us allows us to truly live a free life. Not a religious life. A free life.
Free of any shackles, anything holding us back on the inside and out. It’s a freedom that gives you life and life abundantly. And this freedom, isn’t a gimmick. It’s available for you every second of every day.
So check your “freedom”. Are you truly happy and free, or do you need to set aside that mask covered idea of freedom and get a real dose of life giving freedom?
In order to BECOME the person that we were created to be in the Lord- we have to get to the place where we actually know what true freedom is, and start pursuing it. Let’s start the journey of becoming by getting free.
Until next time,
~ Lanissa Reale
(lanissareale.wordpress.com)
Uniquely Yours Ministries 