Embrace Freedom | Kimberly Davidson
I am very excited to be part of the Living in Truth blogging team. My heart lies in helping women embrace the freedom that Jesus Christ died for. When I say the word “freedom,” what comes to your mind?
Freedom. It has a nice patriotic ring to it, doesn’t it? I want you to consider that spending time with God frees us from ourselves, and the pressures we put on ourselves. I’m sure you’d agree that we live in an “I” focused society. Individuality and personal choices are celebrated and encouraged. Each day we are free to choose what to wear and eat, whether we will exercise or not, if we’ll connect on social media, etc. Every day we make choices that affect our overall well-being, from the routine to the monumental. God gave His created a gift of choice, called “free will.” The “will” is the part of the mind that chooses.
God said, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life …” (Deut. 30:19). By giving His children freedom to choose, God allowed His created to reap the consequences of their choices. People choose every day to do right or wrong. Someone said, “God made all the birds, yet He never made bird cages. Human beings make bird cages.” We make our own cages, imprisoning ourselves to this culture’s rules and expectations, don’t we?
We are given the freedom to choose to experience a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe. When we say yes, God doesn’t come in and micro-manage us and rob us of all our choices—but—our independent status changes. We are adopted into God’s family and we belong to Him. He is part of us, and we are part of Him; our bodies are His temple in which He dwells (John 14:23; 1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Tim. 1:4).
The Apostle Paul, who probably considered himself quite independent before he met Christ, claimed strength comes through a total dependence on God. He said God’s “power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Cor. 12:9).
Jesus reminds us that we did not choose Him, but He chose us (John 15:16). Belonging to God and depending on Him is actually quite liberating. It means He is part of us, and therefore will help us make sound and wise choices. Freedom means God can be trusted to meet all your needs and problems—not just spiritual, but relational, physical, and psychological. Paul declared, “Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17).
If we will rely on what God has provided, He will direct our steps, give us the patience to wait for His timing, and provide whatever is needed to accomplish His purposes. We’ll learn to know and love the Lord more as we walk obediently with Him. We’ll be amazed at how He can use our weaknesses and failures, working through us to bring about His will. This is true freedom!
