Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.
This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)
Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!
Today's word: freedom
What does the word freedom mean to you?
What is the difference between the *freedom* of "doing your own thing" - and the freedom of obedience?
If you had to pick, what is the one thing that gives you the biggest sense of freedom in your walk with Jesus?
Let me know what you think!!
"So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free." (John 8:36, NCV)
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1, NIV)
"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)
BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"
This is one that makes me want to sit and think for a minute before answering. When I think of freedom, liberty is what comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteLike Wanda, I think of liberty when I think of freedom. We are liberated from our sins by Jesus' blood; so now we have freedom to walk with him leading our way without condemnation. I think living in obedience is freedom because it helps us stay on the path God wants us to be on.
ReplyDeleteYou always come up with good words to ponder about Sharon!
have a good weekend.
betty
Freedom to me is choice. And if I stopped and thought about things - I have the choice to do good or bad. What should I do? I have the freedom to choose. Yet do I?
ReplyDeleteYour words remind me of an article I wrote today:
Deletewww.shaysdayz.blogspot.com
You're right...we have the freedom to choose. But what?
"What is the difference between the *freedom* of 'doing your own thing' - and the freedom of obedience?"
ReplyDeleteTo me Biblical freedom is all about being released from bondage. Whether we realized it or not we used to be SLAVES to sin. We were bound to it, forced to obey it's rule. We had no say in the matter. But when Jesus came He FREED us from sin. We are no longer subject to that master. We now have a choice. We can choose today whom we will serve.
To me that's what freedom essentially comes down to - my right to decide. I can decide to follow sin and death, or I can decide to follow Jesus, my light. And no matter what decision I make today I can decide again tomorrow. I never have to be bound, trapped, or enslaved again.
Hi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteYou do like to get us thinking :) I am going to put the first word that came into my head - which also starts with the letter F - it is forgiveness.
When I think of freedom I think of snowball fights with my dgt and dancing with my oldest and sharing my heart and just being totally real. And that freedom amazingly comes from being connected to Him. Pretty powerful stuff !!!!
ReplyDeleteGod blesses me with free will, which to me is freedom.
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon,
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of freedom, two things comes to mind.
1. Freedom from sin. Jesus came to set us free. In Christ, we are no longer a slave to sin. Before I was a Christian I thought I was free to do whatever I wanted as long as it would not get me into trouble with the law or work, or someone else. What I did not realize was, I was in bondage to sin.
2. Freedom of obedience. I like to think of the following analogy. Suppose you were on a balcony of a high rise apartment building. On the balcony you have this railing to protect you and keep you safe. You are free to do most things you would like to do and you would be safe as long as you did not violate the rule of staying inside on the protective guarding. We have freedom to operate within God's rules. His rules are to keep us safe and lead us to do good things. Just like climbing out over the guarding on the high rise balcony puts us in a place of danger, so does living outside of God's laws. We must always remember that God's laws are for our own good.
God bless,
Ken
Honestly, when I think of freedom I think of Christ. When I walk with Him I have freedom from fear. Freedom to be who He created me to be. Freedom to live however I choose - but the freedom to choose what I want to choose KNOWING God knows the best course of action for me in everything I do. I can depend on Him in everything. Things have by no means been "easy" for me. But God continues to place His healing Hand in my life.
ReplyDeleteFreedom is Christ.
What does the word freedom mean to you?
ReplyDeleteHmm. It means the ability to do and be without restraint. To be free from the fear of punishment or retribution. To be relieved from anxiety. It means peace and serenity - a fullness of spirit.
What is the difference between the *freedom* of "doing your own thing" - and the freedom of obedience?
The Bible tells us that the *freedom* of doing one's own thing is actually slavery to sin. One of Satan's biggest lies is making us believe that we are *free* to do what we want. Many people are turned off by Christianity because they think it's a bunch of rules. And yet, Jesus Himself was rather dismayed by all the rules required by the religious leaders of His day. He said that HE had come to set us free from the Law. As Paul points out, does this mean we keep sinning? NO! The Law is not arbitrary. It was set into place to point out what sin is, to show us how we all fall short of God's glory no matter what we do, and to protect us from those things that would enslave us to our sinful natures.
If you had to pick, what is the one thing that gives you the biggest sense of freedom in your walk with Jesus?
Without a doubt, the biggest freedom that I have in Jesus is the freedom from death. Eternal life is the most *freeing* thing I can think of.
GOD BLESS