We Can Be Free

I was asked to write an article for a column in a local newspaper. Despite the fact that I have never read this column and actually never even heard of the newspaper until a few weeks ago, I said yes. A chance to get some of my words published--sure, yep, sign me up for that. I *think* that this column represents views held by the Church which are shared in a way that the average non-Christian could read it and be provoked or encouraged by it. But honestly, I'm not really sure.

For those of you who don't live in this area (and you absolutely will not find this column anywhere online), I've decided to share with you what I think I will probably be submitting to them. Enjoy!

Have you ever heard someone say, 'I don't want to be free?' No. Because people don't say that. We all want to be free, to live without constraint, without limitations, without hindrance and without fear. We want to be free to love and hope and dream and to do that which makes us feel alive inside. And not just for a moment, but for a lifetime. Good news: that is what Jesus came to give us. 

In His own words, He came to set the captives free. But who are the captives? The captive is anyone bound, dominated, or controlled by something--a person, an institution, a situation, a substance, a habit. 

But when we accept His sacrifice, what He did for us on the cross, we can begin to be truly free.

The truth is that God wants us to be free, and that with Him, we can be. We can be free from all those things that hold us back and we can move forward into the things that bring us real life. We can be free to do good out of love for God and others. We can be free to breathe deeply, to dream extravagantly, to pursue those desires that God has put within us. We can be free to experience a greater degree of peace and joy and hope and wonder. We can be free to boldly and courageously chase our destiny. We can be free to live a life of meaning, purpose and fulfillment. In Him, we can be free to fully live.