Celebrating Freedom

Living in America brings forth a freedom that many nations do not experience.  If we were to visit some of those places, we'd find the conveniences of super markets, shopping malls, or freedom of speech are not available.  In many places people live in fear of their life with the threat of slavery or death.  We're not tortured, or prisoners, nor are we forced to labor in camps for the country we abide.  All in all, if we take a real good look at America we're free.  Free to choose where we live, free to choose how many children we have, free to choose if we want to go to college, free to choose our profession, free to marry who we want, free to worship God Almighty. That freedom came with a price of peoples lives that fought to guarantee our liberty.  There is much to be thankful!

1 Peter 2:16 says, "[Live] as free people, [yet] without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but [live at all times] as servants of God.

Just because we're free, we should not use that  'freedom' as a means of justification to live foolishly or immoral.  Wrong choices bring us to a place of oppression and in bondage to the worldly views and living.  Bernard M. Baruch an American financier, stock investor, philanthropist, statesman and political consultant, once stated "The greatest blessing of our democracy is freedom. But in the last analysis, our only freedom is the freedom to discipline ourselves." 

Taking a look around we find that's where the 'rub' really is. People don't want to be disciplined.  There's some that rebel from their youth and keep right on rebelling into adulthood. But the truth of the matter is that God gave us precepts and guidelines to live by.  Why?  To keep us safe  and protected and to help us live in the blessings He intends for us to enjoy.  

Freedom isn't just the fact that we can do what we want, when we want, where we want, to whom we want.  Freedom is the benefit of having choice.  And with that choice comes the responsibility of selecting RIGHT above WRONG.  It's making the decision to not only live life to enjoy for yourself, but being the benefit to others. It's that place that God has called us to live as servants to Him, being the express of Him in our actions, our words and choices. 

I urge you today to live in the freedom of the Word.  Titus 2:14 AMP "(Jesus) Who gave Himself on our behalf that He might redeem us (purchase our freedom) from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people [to be peculiarly his own people who are] eager and enthusiastic about [living a life that is good and filled with] beneficial deeds" Live righteously! Be a doer of the Word!

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