I recently saw a bumper sticker on a car that said, “Freedom is not free.”
This statement could not be truer. Many young adults are thrilled when they get their first taste of freedom. For many, this is when they go away to college and experience life away from home for the first time.
For some, this new-found freedom results in the opportunity to spread their wings and try new things. For others, it can be a scary time, feeling the loss of their “safety net.”
I remember way back when I was in my 20’s and I got my first taste of “freedom.” I no longer had to abide by my parents’ house rules and I could make decisions for myself that benefited ME! Oh, sweet freedom!
But I soon realized that freedom had a price.
For me, it was a very literal price as I discovered that you cannot overdraw your bank account without consequences. I also discovered many other lessons the hard way.
When my own kids were getting ready to leave the nest, I prayed that they would realize that their freedom was bought with a price. They had the freedom to choose to live their lives God’s way or they could follow their fleshly desires. Christ paid a dear price for their privilege to choose.
Unfortunately, some young people think that “religion” is for when you get older and they want the “freedom” to do what they want when they are young. They don’t want to abide by a set of rules and regulations that they feel will inhibit their ability to be happy and have fun. Sadly, that is how they see their faith and they are terribly wrong. They see their faith only as “hell insurance.”
But a true relationship with Jesus Christ is so much more than that. With this mindset, they are missing out on the sweetest relationship in the world and the greatest freedom they will ever know.
If you have a true relationship with Christ you will experience true freedom like you have never known before, because true freedom can only be found in Christ.
When you live your life giving in to your flesh, you are bound to your flesh and your fleshly desires. Think about it – you have so many important decisions to make as you map out the plan for your life. Wouldn’t it be great to have someone help you make those decisions who knows what’s best for you because He created you for a purpose?
You become a prisoner to your wants and needs, and life can feel overwhelming when you try to go it alone. You will never be free because nothing will ever satisfy you fully.
God wired us so that only He can do that.
And when you choose to live your life as a follower of Christ, you will experience the freedom of knowing that He has a plan and purpose for your life.
You will be able to walk out the days of your life in perfect peace.
There is tremendous freedom in not worrying about tomorrow or regretting yesterday. Imagine the freedom that comes with not having to please others – knowing that you only have to live your life to please God.
Only Christ can provide real freedom. But it was not free. He paid the ultimate price. And we have the freedom to choose – life or death.
