Kicking off our Celebration of Freedom with a Bang!

No doubt, the fireworks and minor explosions will soon be going off in your community, if they aren’t already. We begin a new month reflecting on our independence and freedom both as a nation and as individuals. On Monday, we will pause from our daily routines to celebrate America’s Independence.

If you’re an avid reader of my blog, I hope you will be pleased to learn that after focusing on #humilty for most of my posts in June, I plan to focus on #freedom during the month of July.

What is freedom?

To fully grasp a word, we need to define it. The word “freedom” is defined in multiple ways by a multitude of sources.

Freedom describes our ability to think, say, and do what we want without hindrance and independent of outside coercion. As such, there are degrees of freedom. When we think of freedom, most of us think of our right to live in complete autonomy, with the ability to make our own decisions and choices, free from external control. None of us, then, are completely free.

We don’t live in a vacuum. Our thoughts, words, and actions impact others. How we live, what we do, what we say, and how we express ideas can affect others. Our individual lives impress life collectively. That’s why God stresses the importance of loving others as we love ourselves. Learning to love well is a lifelong endeavor. For some of us, it can be quite challenging. Loving well sometimes means we willingly curtail our freedom.

As a man, I am free to love who I want. As a husband, I have chosen to love the woman that I married. Our choice means we both have agreed to compromise some of our individual freedom for the good of our marriage. Could I choose to ignore how my spouse feels about the things I say and do? I could. But, if I want to love her well, then I shouldn’t.

True freedom requires wisdom. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

The truth is we are all born enslaved to sin. Sin seeks to keep us in bondage. But, we can be set free by placing our faith and trust in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Have you experienced freedom in Jesus Christ?

Hallelujah! If your answer is yes, Hallelujah! If not, I hope and pray that you will soon.

Please remember your pets during the 4th of July celebration. Our furry friends depend on us to keep them safe and out of harm’s way. The noise of fireworks and celebration can be disconcerting for them.

Please feel free to engage me with your comment or hook me up with a “like.”

Happy 4th!

The Devotional Guy™

#bgbg2 #BibleGateway
#freedom