‘Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.’ 1 Peter 2:16 (NIV).
As God’s loving servants, we should live in complete freedom, using that freedom to show love and do good to others. Freedom means showing passionate service to others. This is how we reach our highest potential.
This is how we emulate Jesus who lived the most excellent way of all. Laying down His life to serve others. This is how we live the one life that God has given us and this is how we reach the best that He has for us. Let’s allow our freedom to sing of power, joy and love. Let’s live devoted to others and accountable to God. This is living free.
Living bound to constricting and suffocating religious rules and the burden of guilt that we have to do more to please God is not living free. Nor is living selfishly, living fee. Chasing and indulging in our own desires that can keep us focused on ourselves and neglecting the needs of others is not living free.
Though the enticements of our world may promise freedom, in reality they will hold us in bondage. And then we are ‘a slave to whatever has mastered’ us (2 Peter 2:19). Freedom does not come from having and doing whatever we want, it merely brings enslavement instead.
*Prayer:*
‘Heavenly Father, some things in my life are keeping me bound and in slavery. Show me Father what I need to let go of so that I can live as Jesus did – unselfishly and free. Thank you.’
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
AMEN!
*Final Thoughts:*
Living free is living for Christ. Only as we submit our lives to Him will we be free. Christ frees us to serve Him, a freedom that always results in our ultimate good. In Galatians 5:1 we are reminded, ‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free’ and now we are set free from the ‘yoke of slavery’ to freely express our faith in Christ by loving others (Galatians 5:6).
What choices are not allowing us to live free just now? What might God be asking us to let go of so that we can be free to love others and stay accountable to Him?
Be Greatly Blessed!
