There are lots of controlling forces in the world we live in. All through the history man has been on a surge for freedom. Freedom is first and foremost inner freedom, the ability to live after my own convictions and to follow my consciousness. There is a price to keep this inner freedom alive and healthy all through life. It demand strength to uphold it.
I read a great book by Nathan Sharansky some years ago, Fear no Evil, where he describes his battle against the Soviet regime to keep his inner freedom of thought and faith. It lead him to spend 11 years in prison. During these years he fought tirelessly to maintain his inner freedom. His method was simple. He never obeyed anything contradicting with or limiting his inner freedom. When commanded to sleep, he stayed awake, when commanded to eat he didn’t. When he finally was released and brought to the airport i Berlin to be united with his wife he was told to walk straight to the car from the airplane. He then turned around and walked zigzag backwards towards the waiting car.
Of course this was an extreme situation but extreme situations demand extreme counter measures!
I value my freedom, my freedom of choice, freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of movement enormously much!
Jesus came to set us free, not to bind us within a some religious system. He came to set us free from sin which so easily and hardly snares us bringing us into captivity. The sacrifice of Christ was to set us free, to make us free from sin and death to give us the gift of life, to live for Him and with Him.
Let us use our lives for His Glory and to fulfill everything He has enabled us too!
Matsjan