So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36, NIV
Ah, the weekend! For my family, summer weekends typically mean boat rides. That’s when I watch my husband and children turn their faces upward to let the sun and wind blow away the cares of the week—just before I do the same.
Okay, so my kids are little and don’t have too many stresses, but it still moves me to see them revel in this freedom. They take turns standing up front, and my husband and I always get a chuckle when they turn around—hair sticking straight up—to share their wide-eyed wonder with us. It’s serious business.
What makes your heart soar, unhindered by weighty thoughts or pressures? Perhaps you feel free when you escape into a good book on a quiet afternoon. Or maybe you enjoy zooming past new sites on a road trip. Maybe freedom means lingering in a warm bath. Maybe it’s hearing a good report from the doctor.
For all the feel-good nature of those freedoms, nothing compares to the soul freedom Jesus offers. Now that’s the good stuff. He takes our freedom seriously, so seriously that He paid with His life to ensure we wouldn’t have to miss out on an eternity of freedom with Him—freedom that includes constant fellowship with Him; no sorrow, pain or fear; and the endless opportunity to worship His glory.
But even while we’re still on earth, Jesus offers us freedom. In Matthew 11:28, He tells us to rest from all that burdens us. And far from loading us down with have-tos, Galatians 5:1, 13 (CEV) says, “Christ has set us free!… Now hold on to your freedom…. My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love."
Do you take your freedom as seriously as Jesus does?
FAITH STEP: Put hands and feet to your freedom in Christ by doing something kind for someone today.
Contributed by Erin Keeley Marshall
