What Freedom Means to Me

Last night I remembered that Leala had a couple of patriotic hand-me-down dresses hanging in the closet that needed to be worn this year because by next 4th of July she will be too big for them.  I don't ever remember dressing up in red, white, and blue for 4th of July, but I remembered one family who does.  One of my favorite bloggers, Amber, regularly dresses her family in matching colors for her blog posts.  Last year, for the 4th of July, was no exception.  I looked up her 4th of July post from last year because I remembered her family doing something special to celebrate the holiday and I thought it would be a cool tradition to start with our family.  One of them was reading "freedom" verses from the Bible like:

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5:1).

I love doing word searches through the Bible and thought looking up "freedom" verses to read and meditate on on the 4th of July was a great idea!  One of the ones that have come to my mind is:

"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love." (Galatians 5:13, NLT).

As a Christian, that's what freedom means to me.  The country I live in may give me the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but as a Christian, those are governed by God's law summed up by Jesus when He said:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind'... and... 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Matthew 22:36-40).

I liked the point our pastor made at the end of our church service this morning.  He encouraged us as we celebrated our country's independence tomorrow, to remember that we're dependent on God and interdependent on one another in the body of Christ.  Well said.  The independence I celebrate the most is a life free from the bondage of sin.  One of my favorite verses that I believe defines true life is what Jesus said in John 10:10:

"The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and destroy.  I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

At the beginning of our church service we sang "The Wonderful Cross" and I think it's a great song to remember on the 4th of July.  Maybe every 4th of July our family's tradition will be to sing worship songs together and read verses that remind us of true life, liberty, and happiness.  The whole song is great, but the line that always sticks out to me is:

"Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all."

We're reminded repeatedly in this country, and especially on the 4th of July, that our freedom wasn't free.  Lives were sacrificed to gain our freedom and lives are continually being sacrificed to preserve our freedom.  As Christians we need to remember that our freedom, our salvation, wasn't free either.  It was bought at a price, so in gratitude, I need to use my being in a way that brings glory to God (see 1 Corinthians 6:20).  I like what Nancy Leigh DeMoss said at a True Woman conference about counting the cost.

Q.  What are your 4th of July traditions?

I know some families have barbecues or make special food in celebration of the holiday.  I would like to start doing that.  I'm making these Brownie 'N Fruit Kabobs.  Don't they look yummy?