Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!
it’s been a while since my last blog so let’s jump in.
“I am William Wallace. And I see a whole army of my countrymen,here in defiance of tyranny! You have come to fight as free men. And free man you are! What will you do without freedom? Will you fight?”“Two thousand against ten?” – the veteran shouted. “No! We willrun – and live!”“Yes!” Wallace shouted back. “Fight and you may die. Run and you will live, at least awhile. And dying in your bed many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here as young men and tell our enemies that they may take our lives but they will NEVER take our FREEDOM!”
This quote by fellow Scotsman William Wallace, in the film “BRAVEHEART”, is one of my favorite quotes. Not only does it come from the lungs of Mel Gibson fighting for freedom at an adrenaline rushing point of the movie, but it shows so much about how we are meant to dream and live.
In the early 1300’s Wallace and a company of his countrymen decided to stand against the English oppression of their freedom. Wallace swore he would die a free Scot, and that he did. He was tortured and executed in front of many Englishmen as a demonstration of what defiance against the king would bring. Wallace never budged, his last word being “FREEDOM!” The effect was opposite of what the King of England had expected. Scotland rallied and fought to their freedom, living with the passion and dream that now Legend, William Wallace, had instilled.
Wallace knew something that most of us forget so easily. A life without freedom is no life at all. Yes we may live and breathe, work and have a family, but even in this we get tied down, chained to the daily grind, subject to the rules of society. So much so that we fail to realize it. So we go on living a life of slavery not knowing were slaves. Like William Wallace I am writing this to tell you there is freedom in this world to be had, a full life to be lived. We need only to step into that freedom, claim it, and bind all the things that rob us of our freedom.
As I’ve traveled this world I have realized that some chains are obvious such as sex-trafficking slavery, others not so obvious such as a society that tells us things we need to strive for, live for and eventually spending our whole lives investing in. Believing lies leads to living chained, leading to becoming a slave. It’s so common, so normal we NEVER expect it when we buy in. To the point that NOT being a slave is so odd, it’s ridiculed. Even in Thailand, the sex-slaves don’t realize that they are in slavery, they think it’s normal. The only way to live. Sad. Hopeless. Sin has such a grip.
Enter Jesus. He came to free the slaves, heal the sick and give hope to the hopeless. Against popular opinion he did not come so we could have more rules. He came to bring LIFE and LIFE ABUNDANT. #freedom.
I’ve been freed, I don’t live in chains, I walk in freedom. Like William Wallace, because of Jesus, I’m here to bring truth, hope and freedom for those who are still in slavery.
Paul preaches freedom to the Galatians. At the turn of the millennium the Galatians became very legalistic, living and striving for perfect living. Perfect living is obviously impossible and striving for that is even worse because they lose sight of what Jesus Christ died to give us.
Paul outlines his own escape from slavery in Galatians 2:19-20 “For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
He goes on in Galatians 5:19-21 to talk about what Life in slavery brings. Chasing our own desires instead of Gods. “It’s obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods, magic show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all consuming yet never satisfying wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love of be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrollable and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.” (MSG)
In contrast, When we live in freedom, our life is filled with bountiful blessings because we are standing on Gods great grace, not human rules or societies lies. Paul lists the wonderful things that accompany a person who lives this way. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Gal 5:22-24) At first glance these all seem churchy and cheesy but read them again, think how great and full your life would be of these things were really prevalent in your life all the time.
Freedom is a funny thing. Once we have it, how we use it determines whether or not we get more or less freedom. In that sense it is like a currency. If you invest your freedom in things that bring life, you get more freedom in return. If you invest freedom in things that take away life, you are quickly bound to the trappings of this world, thus limiting your freedom.
Freedom is something I think we struggle with understanding in America. We are the land of the free, but are we exercising freedom? Or are we doing things that squelch our freedom. I’d like to discuss freedom in everyday life and inside of religious circles
Everyday life:
We are daily hit with messages and slogans, opinions and expectations. Often times these are for things that ultimately do not lead to a happy joy-filled enjoyable life. Take the typical song that tells guys to get as many chicks into bed as possible and tells women that their worth is in how their body looks. Do either of these actually lead to more life, a better life? No, but we hear it so often it must be true right? Guys who chase women into bed eventually have such a low view of women and themselves that being in a healthy fulfilling relationship is impossible. Women keep chasing the unattainable look, which even if is attained, is actually a lie as far as bringing a more satisfying life – double letdown. They miss the fact that true satisfaction is learning that Jesus made you perfect, rest peacefully in that. You’re beautiful, if you’re husband is a man of God and has eyes he’ll agree. Taking it one step further even any sexual interactions outside marriage throw tons of insecurities in, and take away from enjoying that person and the relationship itself, where the treasure of that relationship actually lies. But keep living for what the media says about relationships, it’s about sex, not love, fun or even growing. Try it, You’ll see soon enough what’s truth.
Well drop one more example, careers and money. From the start of high school we are drilled into getting to the next level. Get better grades, know what you want to so with your life, go to college, get a great job, get promoted, get lots of money. Big lie, even non-Christian studies firmly agree that money does not equal happiness or fulfillment. Obviously you need money to live and getting good grades or a great job are awesome things. But when those things are your goal, that goal chains you. You can never rise high enough, be good enough to satisfy it. It’s an endless cycle that ends up no where, just emptiness. Sure you can buy whatever you want, but things don’t bring happiness. If you don’t believe me go spend time in a third world country, they are much happier with nothing than Americans are with everything.
Obviously there are countless situations that we could walk through, I hope that you can think and apply this idea to what may be keeping you from freedom.
Religious circles:
Let’s talk about being lukewarm. Being a “Christian”, but not actually taking part in Anything of Jesus at all. Being a Christian is not an easy life, why would you fake it, not actually diving in or dying to yourself to live abundantly, just to sit in a pew and look good. That’s a waste of time, bringing no life change and making what Jesus died to give us worthless. There’s no freedom there. What’s worse is that lukewarm Christians are not experiencing or living the awesome life Jesus intended. Instead, they are giving off an awful impression of what a Jesus follower is to the rest of the world because they still wear the name of Jesus on the back of their jerseys. No wonder no one wants Jesus, those who follow him that are lukewarm put on such an awful impression of what He’s like, not attractive one bit. .
Let’s talk about legalism. This is where people inside the church make rule following such a huge deal that it’s more important than love. It makes sense why my generation grew up thinking church was boring, besides having to go instead of wanting to go, church was boring. Not that they didn’t do fun things there, it’s that commonly they didn’t get the real Jesus. Why would you want to continue to go to church where you learn nothing about living in Jesus and everything about what not to do wrong. No gifts of life and freedom experienced there either.
I don’t mean to slam on Christians or the church, they’re both beautiful. But the lukemwarmness and legalism that accompanies many people that associate with church isn’t bringing an accurate picture of Jesus or freedom. So that’s why we’re trapped, the world and it’s lies bind us. Then sometimes the church, the place were supposed to learn about Jesus and real freedom, binds us too. So lets just go to the source…Jesus.
This man Jesus gave up his whole life, every selfish desire because he CARED SO MUCH ABOUT YOU KNOWING GOD AS YOUR FATHER. He came to bridge the gap between us a God, because having a real, intimate, personal relationship with God is the best thing there is. In this all our chains drop off because we are loved by a huge almighty God who create us so intricately. It’s his desire that we be in this relationship because he enjoys us each so much. He frees is so we can live blessed and abundant, radiating life and light everywhere. Nothing is more attractive, nothing gives him more glory, nothing makes him more famous than the story of what he has personally done in each if our lives. Because God’s love is so much stronger than all things that bind us, we can now love and be loved. This my friends is the key to life satisfaction. So exercise your freedom and buy into this.
The reason I write this is because I stand in front of an army of my friends and family that live in bondage to things they haven’t yet realized they are free of. I want them to know they have the key to freedom right in front of them. It’s different than Braveheart, there isn’t even a battle to fight. Jesus already won. So open the door and step into awesome. Live free with me : ).
Love,
Jake
