Skip to main content

Freedom.


Social media the past several weeks has been absolutely exhausting.  Scrolling through facebook or the news, literally has made me want to chuck my phone across the room OR just sit and weep in total disbelief.  Why do I even get on it?  To be completely honest, I have felt nudged to delete in all together.  Honest.  However, at this time my sweet friend and I are leading a group of ladies in an online book study on prayer...which has been the opposite of my newsfeed.  PRAISE BE! Because of the wonderful accountability and encouragement I have found right now in this online group, I have remained connected. For now.

And so I'm writing today, thinking maybe I will be brave enough to move this one from drafts to published.  This post is especially for my friends that believe in God and are seeking to follow Him, even if we often drag our feet or stray back and forth in zig-zag lines trying to.  But also for my friends that maybe don’t identify with my faith.  I am praying that in my weaknesses and my own imperfections, I can be clear about what following Christ looks like and what it doesn’t look like.  I have just been super convicted lately to be specific in the message I am sending to the world right now about who I believe God is and what He has to say about what it means to follow Him.  So many people are looking to Christians to see what they "think" or "believe" about what is happening in our country right now or how we should approach life/ministry/relationships during a global pandemic.  Many people have been burnt by the harsh words of others and/or experienced the unloving acts of people professing to follow the same God as I do.  So I'm trying to be careful, because there is much I want to say...but more importantly His truth is what needs to be shared.

I want to share some verses that the Lord’s been whispering over and over again to me through my quiet time in the past few weeks.  It has also come up in several conversations with Dan, some dear friends and strangers even.  I have been reading many of Paul's letters right now and I was in Galatians this week.  Read the following verses below...multiple times....

Galatians 5: 13-14

"You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  The entire law is summed up in a single command, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

Paul then goes on to write about what the acts of the sinful nature include.  And you know what?  I was kind of surprised to find some words listed right along with some of the obvious like idolatry and witchcraft.  Paul included these words: dissensions, selfish ambition, hatred, and discord.

I was curious and really wanted to understand why these things were listed as part of the sinful nature to avoid, I dug up some definitions in the dictionary.  Dissension can be defined as "disagreement that leads to discord."  Selfish ambition can be defined as "devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others".

Paul was encouraging the churches in southern Galatia to understand what having freedom in Christ really meant.  But, his message seems to SHOUT at me today, especially in the tumultuous time we are living.  We are indeed free because of our faith.  We know that God is ultimately in control and that He knows what tomorrow brings.  What Jesus did for us has sealed the deal on the end of the story.  That makes me take a deep breath, BUT it does not allow me to neglect the implications of my everyday living.

My greatest concern is that we as Christians and specifically Christians living in America have gotten so comfortable with our freedom and camp right on those first few words,"You, my brothers, were called to be free." There is unlimited freedom in knowing that the Lord is in control and will keep His promises until we go home to be with Him when we die.  But when we read on here......there is much more that we can't just glance over.  He cautions us not to use our freedom to indulge the sinful nature (later on defined with words such as selfish ambition, dissensions, etc).  AND "to serve one another in love" AND to "love your neighbor as yourself."  Christ came to die--without a shadow of a doubt--for our freedom, salvation through faith in Christ. BUT reading these words today I am reminded.  He also came to redeem what was broken and restore us so we can LOVE each other better, as we are all image bearers.

We have the freedom to love each other well, because of what He's done for us.  We have the freedom to see differences in one another and love anyway.  We have the freedom to not understand why someone lives the way they do, but love anyway.  We have the freedom to selfishly hate wearing a mask, but put one on to love others anyway.  We have the freedom to have different political beliefs, but love each other anyway and keep our tongues from arguments.

Some questions I keep asking myself lately: Are we indeed indulging ourselves in our selfish nature by being more concerned about our own desires/interests/welfare rather than looking to the interests of others? Are we confusing our own selfishness with a shout of freedom in Christ? We know that the Lord is going to take care of us and knows the beginning from the end.  But please don't miss the truth here.  We cannot waste the freedom we have been given.  If our freedom have given us the "right" to argue to further our own selfish desires without considering the interests of others, I fear we might be getting it wrong.

So much talk about fear these days.  One must be fearful if they choose to wear a mask. One must be living in fear of a virus or afraid of death if they are weighing the risks of going or not going to particular events.  One must be fearful should one political power gain power over another.  One must be afraid of civil unrest gaining traction.  If it is indeed only fear that is motivating us, then we are only looking out for ourselves and worrying about our own welfare.  Is it fear that actually motivates my heart to put away my own selfish desires? No. It's love. It's always love.   So what is the motivator for your living right now?  What motivates you to share what you share on facebook? What is the motivator behind that conversation you have with someone you disagree with?  Is it love or is it fear?

They will know we are Christians by our LOVE. "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35)."  It doesn't say they will know we are his disciples, by holding hard and fast to our opinions about wearing masks or not wearing masks.  It doesn't say that by arguing one political party over the other they will know we are Christians.  It doesn't say they will know us by dehumanizing those that disagree with us.  Absolutely not.

Deep breath....we have to be so careful right now because the world is watching.  Whichever side we are on, whichever political party you identify with—remember what the side actually says about who you are and how you love.  We absolutely have freedom in Christ. Freedom to live without fear of the future and free of the chains that so easily entangle us. AND we absolutely have freedom in Christ to pour out loving words and actions to others.  We have the freedom to use our freedom in Christ to love and serve our neighbors, even those who think, act, live different than ourselves. 

A love for all image bearers should be the biggest flag we wave.  Our freedom in Christ has given us that. Let’s not waste that freedom seeking after selfish ambition, hatred and discord. 

Lord help us. Help us to love better. Bigger. Freely.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes, we aren't okay.

*******I am writing from my own personal perspective.  I do not claim to be representing all teachers during this time. We all have had different experiences navigating education during a global pandemic. Some are struggling through far worse and some have been impacted very little.  As always, I write for my own processing and with hope of being an encouragement to someone else to keep fighting the good fight.   Be honest with yourself and others. Teaching is a different kind of hard right now.  It's okay if you're not okay.********* I have had this experience lately that has really started to bother me.  I am usually out walking or at the store getting groceries and I run into someone I haven't seen much since school has started.  They see me and immediately ask, "How are you? How's school?"  Their care and concern is obvious, as is the sweet kindness they are showing, knowing full well school must be a little different right now.  Their questio...
5 comments
Read more

Well done.

There are so many thoughts I have as this school year comes to an end and I have been praying about the right words for all the feels, the frustrations, the relief, the continued anxiety, the pure exhaustion. So in honor of teacher appreciation week—here’s a short letter to all my fellow teachers that have persevered through an unprecedented time in education. ———————————— Dearest Teacher, Spray and wipe, wipe and spray. Stop for just a second. If I could be with you in person to say this, I would grab your worn hands and look you right in your tired eyes.  You have made it. You made it. There were days you were fully convinced you were not cut out for what would lie ahead in the 2020-2021 school year, but you actually made it. The school year is almost ready to tie up into a nice little bow and you will actually be able to say: It is finished.  If no one has told you lately—-I am SO freakin proud of YOU. Sincerely. You showed up each day whether in person, online, both or fli...
Post a Comment
Read more

Defying gravity.

“Where I come from, everyone knows the best way to bring folks together is to give them a common enemy.”—Oz, Wicked the musical   Public education is slowly becoming the common enemy and it is suffocating.  If this seems far fetched from your understanding and perspective, make time to share a space with your friends in education. How are they feeling right now?  Since social media allows us to feel like we can have a personal connection with someone, here is what I would share over a cup coffee if we could be face to face. As someone who has committed over 18 years serving children and families in my wonderful community in a public school, I can assure you. Public schools are not the enemy. Should everyone have the choice how they would like to educate their own children? Of course. That is something I believe with all my heart.  School choice is not the enemy of the public school. Those spreading false information and hate toward public schools are creating a...
Post a Comment
Read more