This July 4th - As We Celebrate Freedom, Consider Fear of Bondage

America's symbol of independence....

Freedom....

Our country fought for it.

Many died for it.

Over the years, freedom has become a theme song for America....

America: 

the land of the free

the home of the brave.

We celebrate our freedom as a nation - every July 4th - once a year;

but, we declare our independence daily (as individuals).

Americans are living the free life;

And, as Christians, freedom is our anthem -

It comes across LOUD and CLEAR!

After all,

"It is for freedom that Christ set us free..."

We are free to live how we want, as we want, under grace.

There is truth to this.

There is also a DEEP, DEEP fear imbedded in this anthem.

I recognize it.

It's quite subtle, actually.

It's:

FEAR OF BONDAGE

Bondage to someone else's opinions.

Bondage to legalism.

Bondage to a "have to:"

    I have to live under the thumb of another...

    I have to live under someone else's expectations...

    I have to perform a certain way...

    I have to look like everyone else...

    I have to give up who I am to become what somebody else wants me to be...

    I have to ___________________________ (you fill in the blank)....

We are afraid of being in bondage to man...

So afraid, we have placed ourselves back in bondage...

I see "fear of bondage" all over social media.

Christians who live in fear of bondage taut their liberties with their words, with photos, with pithy quips and quotes from others...

I'm not pointing a finger.

I live in the center of this fear, as well.

There's a rebel inside of me that fights to live in independence.

To do what I want; be who I want; to live free of any "condemnation" from others...

But, as I sit to contemplate the truth of fear of bondage this morning, I realize something quite alarming....

The more I fight for independence, the more I sink into bondage.

And....the more I want others to join me in this prison.

I'm creating my own brand of legalism....of "have to's"...

I'm asking others to look a certain way -

It's a new "look" that hints at freedom, but reality is that it is bondage, as well.

It's difficult to describe...

BUT

 I want the focus to be on me...narcissistically so.

I want to set the stage for how freedom should look...

I still want others to look like me, agree with me, live the same kind of freedom I think I have discovered...

If they don't, if they disagree with my new found freedom, then these people are haters.

They simply want to bring me back into bondage.

Sad thing, I'm already there.

I'm still under the opinions of others...

It's a difficult thing to swallow.

And, I realize this morning, I don't want this kind of bondage!

To be totally free looks like dependence.

I NEED JESUS.

HUGELY!!

And, His way is the only free way.

Yes, there may be a fence around the play ground.

There may be some commandments to follow.

Some "rules to live by."

But, inside the fence, there is a great deal of LOVE, laughter, life-abundant (peace-filled, protected, FREE).

This Independence Day, I'm declaring my DEPENDENCE.

I'm releasing my fear of bondage, turning back to the only way to freedom - 

I'm dependently on

the Jesus-path, 

clinging to His nail-scarred-hand!

My symbol of dependence: