Today we celebrate our veterans. Lives lost, time spent, horrors seen, wars fought–for our freedom. The irony of freedom is it isn’t free. To those of you who have paid the price in any way, thank you.
************************************************
Yesterday our church continued studying Galatians where Paul talks about spiritual freedom. In America where we value our country’s freedom so much, we’ve distorted spiritual freedom enough that we find so many people anything but free.
My pastor talked yesterday about how our fleshly desires are in battle against the spirit. Our flesh desires sin. Do what feels good! I don’t need a boss! You only live once! Those messages abound in our culture.
And it’s true, gratifying our fleshly desires feels good—at least in the moment—and anyone that tells you different is lying. So we take those moments that feel good and assume that’s the way to freedom. However, if you live like that long enough, you’ll find it’s anything but freedom. You’ve done nothing but wrapped chains around your heart. You’re in bondage and it’s not fun anymore.
************************************************
Two years ago today I released Entangled, the confession of my emotional affair. I think back to moments it was fun—I felt great. I felt beautiful. I was finally doing exactly what I wanted, when I wanted. In those moments, I felt free. But that’s the allure of sin. You have moments that lie to you. You’re free for a moment but in the end, it just tightens the chains a little tighter.
I went through a season of what our culture would call freedom—doing just exactly what my heart was desiring. But I ended up miserable. My stomach hurt, I was losing weight, my heart rate was through the roof. I felt terrible for hiding my sin. My body was physically battling for my true freedom long before my spirit was.
Here’s the thing we don’t get : spiritual freedom isn’t a freedom of will, it’s a freedom from will.
Spiritual freedom is not in doing what feels good or what you can just because we only have one life. You think fighting for your desires is the way to freedom but you wake up one day and realize you’ve been fighting on the enemy’s side the whole time.
True freedom is found in siding with God and his holy ways. Small moment after small moment, battle after battle, choosing the holy way and not the fleshly way.
I can tell you with conviction I never felt more free than by giving up what my flesh truly wanted. In the moment, it felt like defeat. It felt painful. I didn’t want it. But God’s ways are freedom, not our own.
Today while I thank the veterans for our country’s freedom, I also thank God for true spiritual freedom. Oh, how much I could have lost! Thank God for his grace and his never-ending, chase-you-down desire for my freedom.
To those of you bound up, today is the day to start your fight for freedom. Even if the battle seems too hard, even if you don’t yet want God’s ways, it just starts by telling God you want freedom. He will give you new desires and eventually, victory. Surrender your will and chase after Him.
I would love to intercede for your freedom in prayer. Email me and let me know you need it and it’d be my honor to help you battle today.