What is freedom?
We discovered here that the gospel is freeing. Great! Now what? In Galatians 5:1 we read that for freedom Christ has set us free. Now even that can be confusing. For freedom we are free. What? That’s like saying, “For retreating we have retreated.” Um, ok? Can someone please tell me a little more about this freedom? Because if don’t understand what this means we’ll never actually experience the victory and the change that God wants in our lives.
The real question then, is this: What are we freed from and what are we freed for?
Galatians 5:13 says“Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh but in love serve one another.”
We’ve been freed from slavery to our flesh.
Our freedom is not license to sin it is liberty to do right.
See if we don’t understand true freedom we’ll get it all mixed up. When I was a freshman in college I struggled with what some would call an “eating disorder” – I would just call it sin. I took a good desire–wanting to lose weight–and turned it into an obsession, wanting to be skinnier and skinnier and skinnier until it was unhealthy and dishonest. So at the end of my sophomore year I had a radical breakthrough where I confessed and was honest and sought help and received radical deliverance from this bondage. And I believed that I was now “FREE” – great.
Free. Now I was free. No more bondage. No more obsessing over being too skinny. No more starving. Free!
But what did that mean? I wrongly believed that since I was “free” I could just do whatever I wanted. So I ate. And ate and ate and ate and ate. Because I was free! Free! Didn’t it feel good to be free?
Not really. Because after I’d eat and eat and eat I still felt terrible. Even though I wasn’t starving I still wasn’t walking in the true freedom of Christ, in freedom from the flesh, freedom to glorify God.
True freedom is freedom from bondage to the flesh. If you are in Christ you are no longer a slave to the flesh. Meaning, you are no longer obligated to obey your flesh’s sinful desires. In my situation, freedom meant I could eat when I was hungry and stop when I was full. I didn’t need to hide or be afraid. I didn’t need to turn to food as an idol or comfort. Freedom is real freedom.
For example, we are free to eat a scoop of ice cream and not the whole carton. We are free to see a beautiful woman and not feel envious. We are free to rejoice over another person’s successes, free to be genuinely happy for someone who’s kids are thriving while ours are struggling. Free to be genuinely patient when our kids was pushing our buttons. We are free to love someone who hurt us, instead of harboring resentment. We are free to be happy and joyful, instead of in bondage to moodiness or cynicism. We are free to wear older clothes or have an old car or live in an old house or apartment, we’re free from having to keep up with the Joneses because we’re free from rivalry and strife.
What’s your thing? The thing you want God to change.
What would I freedom look like?
Think about it. Envision it. Ask God to show you what freedom would look like, then begin praying toward and taking steps toward that.
Are you willing to share? What would freedom look like for you? Describe it with confidence and believe that God can give you the power to walk in that freedom! Share with us and let us pray for you! We’re cheering for you, sister. Thanks for growing with us… and for reading.
7 thoughts on “What does freedom look like … for you?”
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Dearest Kari,
I love your posts and read them up and soak them in like so much sunshine. You often know just the right things to say (funny how you do that!) or provide thought-provoking words to help me turn inward. Today, though, I was sad with one part of your post. For those of us who struggle with diagnosed mental illness, reading “We are free to be happy and joyful, instead of in bondage to moodiness and depression” is so disheartening. I have cried many tears, have spent many sleepless nights and many agonizing days crying out to the Lord, using the talents of therapists and (what can be) the modern miracle of pharmaceuticals asking “WHY ME?” For over half my life I have suffered from depression. From my late 20s I was diagnosed with OCD, anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder. While “I” am not those things, those things so affect me so greatly that I have at times been unable to work, unable to be a friend, unable to be the best partner or wife or mother that I wish to be. Again: I have cried out to the Lord, have prayed for deliverance, have “made the choice to be free” yet still those black corners sometimes close in and cover me both figuratively and literally. I have struggled through my feelings about my, well, feelings with women’s bible study groups, with community groups, with others…if I have prayed for deliverance, for love, have made the CHOICE to be happy, what am I doing wrong to still be cycling through dark times? I love you, dear sweet Kari, and wanted you to know that many of us who love the Lord, who try to walk the best walk with Him that we know how, who try our hardest to eradicate the darkness that visits us are not lesser, we aren’t “doing” something that we have choices over, we are simply struggling with our biochemistry. Choosing self care (physical activity, medications as prescribed, getting proper rest and counseling) can certainly help but it’s not as simple as I felt it was made out to be here. Love to you and thank you, as always, for writing.
Oh Nissa, thank you for taking the time to share this from your heart and with such kindness. ABSOLUTELY agree. I certainly didn’t intend to mention clinical depression off-handedly like that, and I agree there ARE things chemically that need the wisdom of doctors, medication, etc. I should clarify that I am not talking about medically diagnosed conditions, I am talking about the battles of the flesh that we ALL face every single day. Please forgive me for not being more sensitive and clear here. I love you, dear Nissa. I pray you are encouraged and strengthened today! Thanks for your grace.
Oh Kari, this so speaks to the season I am in right now and the journey I have been on this past year. For me freedom is understanding that emotions aren’t good, bad, right or wrong, they just are; and it’s ok to express them. It is being ok with having needs and taking care of myself with out feeling guilty. It is having people over when my house is not all “put together”. It is being able to relax on the couch during nap time when there is sink full of dirty dishes and crumbs all over the floor. It is understanding that my kids bad behavior isn’t a direct reflection of my parenting or me as a mom. It is not feeling like I always have to measure up. It is being able to put my “to-do” list away and be silly and have fun with my kids (this one is really hard for me). It is understanding God’s unconditional love and forgiveness in radically new way – for I was blind and now I see, I was a leper and now I’m healed!
For me Freedom = Life!
I recently finished reading Tired of Trying to Measure Up by Jeff VanVonderen. God used that book to break the bonds of shame I couldn’t even see were there – I am more alive now than I have ever been before! To God be the the Glory!
Wow, Heather, this is powerful! I love how you can exactly describe what that freedom looks like. Beautiful! Amen and amen! What a blessing that He’s used that book already begin breaking those bonds! I love it–praying with you today that He continues this work of freedom. Love it, and love you!
Kari, Such a good post, and such a great perspective. So many don’t understand that freedom does NOT mean freedom to sin. Here’s the deal, I sin all I want to, I just don’t want to. 🙂 . The REAL truth is, that I sin more than I want to, and this struggle against flesh is a constant battle.
Amen! Battle… exactly what it is. That’s what we’re talking about next! 🙂
I’m a day behind, but I know I’m meant to share on this post. My struggle is with food, as well. several years ago, I arrived at a healthy weight in a most unhealthy way. It was in a community of people who adhered to numerous strict rules that covered everything from what, when, and how to eat, to many lifestyle guidelines. I lost weight, but it was all based on rules, and I was u.g.l.y. on the inside. I gained all the weight back during my twin pregnancy, and still carry much of it.
BUT GOD IS GOOD!! God is calling me to His way of living. His best is better than anything!! Now I eat to obey God’s guidelines for my life. I submit my cravings to Him, as “my spiritual act of worship”. Romans 12:1. I have a sister in Christ who is willing to support me in this journey to find wholeness in the Lord. My husband is loving and patient and supportive. I am free from the bondage of weighing food, writing down every ounce that I eat. I am free from hiding candy wrappers from my husband. I am losing weight and glorifying God with my body. I still sin occasionally. I will as long as I am stuck in this earthly body. But now I am free to ask forgiveness and move on in God’s grace.
Oh, dear sisters and fellow SM readers, there is freedom in Christ. There can be days without guilt and shame. God has brought me through the muck and mire of sinning with food. He carries me now. He can carry you, too! There is freedom.
I am free!