The Grace Street Blog

“Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” – 2 Peter 2:16-17

Freedom is a tricky thing.

It can be so good when it means you are no longer bound by something emotionally, spiritually, or physically damaging. But sometimes, when mixed with a lack of wisdom, it can be the very thing that leads us to something harmful.

Growing up, I have always heard people tell me that I can become whatever I want as long as I work hard for it. That’s the beauty of the American dream. But one thing I missed was how to find out what exactly I ought to spend my freedom working hard for.

With so many inspirational people in history, on TV, at public speaking events, and even on social media, I grew up chasing the wind.

With every new year giving a new definition to what success looked like, I went from dream to dream hoping to find the one made for me.

But without a true understanding of what mattered most in life, I went through elementary, middle, high school, and the majority of college feeling like I still had to search for what gave my freedom value and a purpose.

Don’t get me wrong, towards the end of high school, I was confident of what it meant to belong to Jesus, but I would admit that I wasn’t confident on how to actually live that out.

This year, America will celebrating 250 years of freedom. What a blessing it is to witness this. Despite the fact that not one person in the US today was a witness to the freedom won in 1776, we, as a united people, gather every year from small towns to big cities to celebrate the freedom we get to have because of the price others paid for us.

The 4th of July has always been towards the top of my favorite holidays list. With mesmerizing fireworks, delicious BBQ, sunny weather, and gathering with loved ones, I am overwhelmed with joy every year.

But for the past few years now, I have grown more and more aware of the significance of the freedom we are celebrating. I’ve traveled to various countries and have met women who risked their lives for education to support their kids, families who have to hide their faith because their lives depend on it, and kids who were never told they could be anything they wanted, but instead are forced to focus on working to survive and provide for their family every day.

Experiencing these encounters opened my eyes to the question I hadn’t realized I spent so long chasing an answer to; what matters most? Because at the end of the day, that is what our freedom ought to be used for.

And for the people I met who rarely had a choice to do something they dreamed of, the thing that always mattered most to them was others.

Because of the place I was born, I have the privilege to be granted freedom by those who govern this land. As great as that is and despite how much I love my USA, I would have to say I found an even greater freedom somewhere else. Not in a country, a governing system, material things, nor the great American dream. No, this freedom has a name and His name is Jesus.

This Freedom is what gives purpose, value, and life to any open heart regardless of where you live. It’s a Freedom based on the nature of Itself, that of unconditional love, rather than our class, education, good deeds, or opportunities. Jesus is the Freedom our souls so desperately search for in the limited offers this world tries to give us.

His love, grace, and mercy extend farther than we can fathom. There is no one outside the bounds of His longing to forgive.

We can continue chasing a dream, money, or education with our freedom believing it will satisfy us. But the truth is that all things on earth have an end. And with souls crafted to worship a holy, eternal God, no earth-based thing will ever fill that desire in us.

But just like the freedom in America is only offered to its citizens, the freedom found is Christ requires us to find belonging in the kingdom of God as well.

Because Jesus paid the price for our freedom, like the soldiers in the 1770’s did for Americans, becoming a part of the united body of Christ is the only thing standing between us and a new life with eternal value and purpose.

New life, with clarity on what to use your freedom for. For God and for others.

Jesus Himself leads us in this life of humble mercy as some of the last words He says on cross is, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:24).

As we gather this 4th of July with our friends, families, or strangers in homes, small towns, or big cities, may we see freedom with a greater significance. Greater than just the benefits it brings us individually.

My dear friend, let your freedom be used for something beyond yourself. After all, the sacrifice of the freedom and life others in the past is why we get the privilege to rejoice today.

Happy 4th of July!

Thoughts to Consider:

What do you spend the freedom you’ve been given pursuing most often? What does that reveal about your heart?

How can you intentionally use your time, gifts, and opportunities this week to reflect the selfless love of Christ?

What would change if your greatest ambition was not personal success, but faithful stewardship of the freedom God has entrusted to you?

Consider that the greatest freedom is not found in having endless choices, but in finally knowing the One your soul was created to choose.

“Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” – 2 Peter 2:16-17