As an American who grew up under patriotic fervor honoring the USA flag, and pledging allegiance to a country established under authority and faith in God, I find today’s political rhetoric regarding freedom in America and what it means very different.
Most of the men in my family of the previous generations served in the military between World War 2, Korea, and some personal friends sacrificed greatly during the VietNam “conflict”. They answered the sacrificial call to defend and love our country in response to tyrants and dictators out to destroy our freedoms. Later came some unfortunate political blunders from our leaders that have stained our country’s heritage forever.
In all my decades of spiritual darkness and rebellion, I still believed freedom was something that came at great cost and sacrifice. History has shown we sometimes have to physically fight to protect our rights, families, and properties in warfare. For sure, the great progression of modern civilization has been built on the backs of men and women who sacrificed time and effort in order to realize the goals or visions they had for a better future.
In order to attain financial freedom, the average person needs to sacrifice and work long hours to attain enough money to secure themselves and their families. The Bible is full of principles and stories regarding the generation of wealth by sowing and reaping in this life through hard work and sacrifice.
Suddenly, it appears that our world system and government purports that what were once blessings or results of hard work and effort are now “rights” that all human beings suddenly deserve equally. In our new global agenda, we leave governments in charge of doling out financial equality in order to meet the needs of the masses and of course secure votes for these big governments who have promised financial equality no matter whether you worked for it or not. If you do what they say, wear their mask, abide by whatever they tell you to do for “security” reasons, THEY will take care of you. You will get bailout checks if you toe the line, and your children will get free education, free medications, free housing…you will have nothing to worry about the rest of your life. Isn’t it wonderful to have a government that gives us everything for nothing (well, except our vote).
Bottom line, we no longer need God…just a bigger government to run our lives. If we support the right government or political party, we are promised equal access to food, jobs, education, and healthcare as a right…not as a result of good work, diet, or lifestyle choices. We don’t need relationships with each other if we have a reliable government to cover our needs individually. We don’t need churches or any other institutions because our government has guaranteed our security and freedom. What a terrible fallacy.
The unfortunate Biblical truth regarding freedom and equality is that people are rewarded based on their behaviors. If you are a saver, you will have more money in your possession. If you are a consumer, you will probably be in debt to someone or “the system”. You can’t act however you want and then expect to have freedom and equality with everyone else.
Large volumes of scripture can be quoted to discuss the simple principles of money and finance the Old and New Testaments of the Bible contain. We can focus on that another time. For today, I am thinking about the SPIRITUAL principles that are needed to find spiritual and personal freedom. My premise is that when you find spiritual freedom, you will be more likely to gain financial freedom as a result. Why is that? Well, for one thing, you are no longer living to horde for yourself since life is no longer about status or fortune. In addition, you won’t have time or desire to spend money on expensive entertainment and waste because you are too busy ministering and spending your time building up the believers, the Body of Christ. Yes, your personal sacrifice of time for others can SAVE YOU MONEY. Pleasure can be very expensive. I know it well.
The three-letter word SIN is the biggest culprit that keeps us from being free. Sin is knowing to do right and not doing it because we prefer temporary pleasure to the long term results of doing what is GOOD for us. God has offered us the good news of forgiveness from our sin and avoiding His wrath versus staying under the bondage of those things that take away our joy and freedoms in this life.
Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:16-18)
Many of us know by now that money and riches do not necessarily equate to freedom. Most people of wealth are “slaves” to what they own. Many people can’t travel freely because they have to protect or maintain all their material goods…”stuff” weighs them down. Many of us have little time for recreation or doing good works for our families or fellow men because we are too busy managing or paying for our stuff. Some of the most burdened people I have known have great wealth, while many of the freest and happiest people I have known were materially some of the poorest.
Fundamentally, in the words of Jesus, the greatest among us would be the servant of all. By being a servant, we mean covering the basic command of loving God with all our hearts, minds, and souls and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Love is SACRIFICE and servitude.
Many of us perceive “freedom” as being totally free to do whatever we want or be wherever we want to be at any particular moment. The reality is that if we only live to ourselves and our preferences, we will have no relationship/commitment to God or others. This can quickly become a lonely life without fulfilling the purpose or meaning we were created for. This is very easy to see in others…less so in ourselves.
We were created to be in relationship to God and others…not hermits on some island or mountaintop. Sure, it seems preferable oftentimes to be alone and not bothered with other people. Sinful, fallen people are not fun or easy to be around (unless we are one of them), so when their needs interrupt our wants, we easily become tired of them and would prefer not to be bothered.
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. (Galations 5:13-14)
But now that you have been set free from sin and become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (Romans 6:22)
The promise of the Gospel of Christ is that when we lose our old sinful self and replace it with the new man found in relationship to Christ, we are no longer slaves to ourselves or the world around us. We are free to live the eternal lives we were created for in fellowship with God and men.
There is no greater love than when one lays down their life for another as Jesus did for us on the cross. There is no greater joy than to live serving others, helping others, praying for others. We have less time to wallow in our own problems or fears. As we become full of God’s spirit we are free to endure all things, hope all things, and love everyone as God has loved us.
To love is to sacrifice. To sacrifice is to live freely as we have freely received the gift of love and forgiveness from our Heavenly Father. The true value of that freedom will be on the day when Christ returns to raise the quick and the dead to their eternal reward. The cares and concerns of this world will immediately disappear in the light of God’s glory and grace. That is the promise that comes with true freedom which is a gift from God…not a right.