Freedom

My plan was to write a post on Freedom for Monday, but life does what it does and I didn’t have it ready in time. I also was taken aback when a dear friend preached at church Sunday, speaking directly to my heart on this very topic, in the same direction I planned to focus on.

So Chris, if you read this… thanks for your wise words. I can’t believe how similar our heads and hearts are on this subject

We’ve all been crushed and beaten down at some point in our lives. The trick is getting over it, and accepting the freedom that comes along with letting go. How simple the words sound… but it’s far from easy to implement.

How can we accept that God loves us no matter what and experience true freedom, if we don’t love ourselves? When we can’t forgive our own shortcomings, doubts, addictions, etc… it’s difficult to believe God does.

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7:15-17

We can be so hard on ourselves. When we swear we won’t make the same mistakes again… and we do… it can be devastating. If we give into an addiction, or fail to break bad habits, it can put distance between us and God.

I don’t know if others experience things like this, but sometimes while lying in bed at night, my mind will start going crazy and doubts run rampant.

I become overwhelmed with… ‘what if?’ What if when I die there really isn’t anything else… what if I’ll never see my loved ones again? What if I’m not doing enough? What if God is trying to use me, or tell me something, and I’m not listening?

At these moments, I pray for God to release me from my doubts, and to allow my faith to be strong enough to keep them away. Those are times I feel I don’t measure up, and that I don’t deserve the love or forgiveness of our Father.

I’m beginning to realize that this is simply not truth. These are stumbling blocks put in the way to keep me from experiencing real freedom. These obstacles make me believe if I just try harder to overcome them… all will be fine.

I now see that I can’t do anything on my own. The only way to experience the freedom God intended for us to enjoy, is by accepting that His love and forgiveness are free AND unconditional. To remove the masks, and quit hiding behind our fears and uncertainty.

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

We MUST accept Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and died for ALL of us sinners! We need to KNOW the bible is TRUTH. We can NOT let sin and doubt keep us from the joy and rewards of the freedom we’re intended to receive… if we SURRENDER and BELIEVE.

Tagged as: Faith, Forgiveness, Freedom, God's Love, Mistakes, Prayer, Sin, Surrender