Freedom – a word that conjures up an Utopian state of euphoria and ecstasy where man’s spirit roams free. Freedom is to feel the gentle breeze caressing your face in a scented garden as butterflies and birds chirp merrily around you. Watch eagles soar above the clouds! Freedom is the moment you gaze into the crimson sunset as the sun sinks under the horizon as day transits into night and stars begin to twinkle against the backdrop of deep dark space. Even if that’s only for a fleeting moment in time, that sensation of freedom defines that epoch in life. That magic moment – is freedom!
To many freedom takes a more tangible form. It is to be able to do what you please. There’re no out of bounds boundaries. An uninhibited man’s will to do what he chooses defines freedom. In today’s context, that is the idea of freedom espoused by most western democracies. Democracy is the embodiment of freedom – freedom to act and freedom to speak. Unfortunately, the consequences of freedom often takes a backstage.
Man was born free indeed, except for one simple caveat – do not ignore the creator that gives the free will. The sad story of mankind is that even that one simple caveat was violated. Yes, just ONE. With that, untold miseries have chaperoned fallen man. In the name of freedom, licentiousness and anarchy prevailed. Evil becomes good. Love becomes permissiveness in sexual exploits. What was created beautiful turned utterly grotesque.
Click to Listen to Born Free
Is freedom the culprit? Not at all. Freedom is beautiful and the quintessence of life. But only so when freedom is bridled with responsibility. Responsibility to self and others. A child cannot be granted absolute freedom else he will not survive unguided. Laws and restrictions are created to preserve harmony. Laws are not meant to limit freedom, but to ensure that there is no anarchy and others are not harmed by irresponsible actions of others. Just look how the failure of the humble traffic lights results in traffic chaos when rules of movement fail.
When people demand absolute freedom, that is already a failure arising from a misguided notion of freedom. It has nothing to do with curtailment of freedom. It is a surreptitious attempt to disregard God’s dominion over man. Whether you are in a free country or one ruled by dictators, there is only one true freedom. That is freedom of your will. It rests with you and cannot be taken away. All others are simply external manifestations that may look like choices and freedom. Are those living in the democratic western world truly free? Their mental persuasions speak for themselves. More often than not, they are in deep bondage while physically free. Their addictions to credit (average household has $132,529 in debt), drugs (both prescribed and non-prescribed), materialism (watch the Black Fridays), licentious behaviours (permissive sex, gay sex divorces) are glaring statistics that need no elaboration.
You can only taste freedom when the Son of God sets you free.That freedom is independent of sensory perceptions and external stimuli. It is freedom of the spirit that is pure, beautiful and undisturbed. When the gentle breeze of God brushes your soul and His light overwhelms you, there is freedom.
1 Samuel 8
7 And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
Thy word ..... 