What Does It Mean To Be Free?

What does it mean to be free? The word free is defined as to not be under the control or power of another. Another definition reads, not to be confined or imprisoned. John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” We don’t know true freedom until we come into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Not too long ago, I remember stumbling across an old high school yearbook. As I scrolled through the pictures, I saw my 17-year-old self. This was just a few months before I gave my heart to the Lord. What I immediately noticed in the picture was my eyes. To look in the eyes of my 17-year-old insecure, bound-up self-- my eyes looked completely lifeless. I was living, but I wasn’t fully alive. I was definitely anything but free. 

Sometimes we are unaware that we are bound. I think of animals who have been raised in captivity. When they are released back into the wild, they don’t know how to react. The truth is they actually become accustomed and comfortable to captivity. If we aren’t careful, we can become comfortable in captivity. Like robots, we go about a form of life without experiencing true freedom. When I accepted Jesus, everything changed. I experienced a freedom that I had never felt before. For once, I was free! I experienced a new level of living, everything was new! 

Freedom is a choice that we continue to make every day. Like that animal that was once in captivity but is now free, do we fully embrace our freedom, or do we revert back to the captivity that feels normal and comfortable? Do we allow fear and anxiety to control us? Are we manipulated by our feelings and emotions? Are outside situations driving you? Has Christ set you free but you are still living in bondage? Get free today! Enjoy the freedom that is yours because of Jesus! Say goodbye to anything or anyone that keeps you in bondage! If Jesus Christ has set you free-- you are free indeed!