LIVING AN ABUNDANT LIFE IN TOTAL FREEDOM

APRIL 2, 2019

HAVE YOU EVER ASKED YOURSELF WHAT THE DEFINITION OF FREEDOM IS ? HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED AS A CHRISTIAN WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO LIVE A LIFE OF ABUNDANCE ? THESE ARE TWO QUESTIONS THAT TRULY NEED TO BE CONTEMPLATED IN OUR WALK WITH GOD. FOR MOST OF US, THE SIMPLE ANSWER TO FREEDOM IS “ HAVING THE ABILITY TO DO WHAT YOU WISH, WHENEVER YOU WISH, WHETHER RIGHT OR WRONG”. AUTHOR DAVID BOWDEN HAS SOME GREAT THOUGHTS REGARDING THIS IN HIS BOOK, “REWIRE YOUR HEART”. THERE SEEMS TO BE THIS IDEA IN ALL OF US, THAT FREEDOM IS ONLY ACHIEVED WHEN WE ARE IN CONTROL. WE MAKE THE CALLS ON THE THINGS WE THINK AND DO. THEY MAY BE RIGHT, OR THEY MAY BE WRONG, BUT AT LEAST THEY ARE OURS ! WE OWN THEM ! IF THAT WERE THE CASE, THEN IS THERE ANY NEED TO EVEN KNOW JESUS ? IF ALL WE DO IS WHAT WE WANT, THEN WHY DO WE EVEN WANT TO LIVE A CHRISTIAN LIFE. AS A CHRISTIAN, HOW AM I ANY DIFFERENT FROM ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD ?

PERHAPS WE BEGIN BY RECOGNIZING THAT TRUE FREEDOM IS FOUND IN THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE WITH JESUS. IT IS AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP BASED IN LOVE, SALVATION, AND OBEDIENCE ….TO BE WHO GOD DESIGNED US TO BE. BOUND TO HIM, YET FREE IN HIM, AND HIS LOVE FOR US. GOD LIVES IN TOTAL FREEDOM, AND HE DOES WHAT HE PLEASES….BUT HE DOES HAVE THINGS THAT HE CANNOT DO. GOD DOESN’T LIE, HE DOESN’T ACT CONTRARY TO HIS PERFECT CHARACTER. HE IS NEVER UNJUST. SIN AND TEMPTATION DON’T EXIST IN HIM. SO MAYBE, JUST MAYBE FREEDOM TRULY COMES TO US IN WHAT WE DON’T HAVE TO BE ANY MORE. WE ARE FREE WHEN WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE RULED BY SIN, AND THE FLAWED CHARACTER IT CREATES IN US. WE REALLY BECOME FREE WHEN WE GIVE OUR LIVES TO JESUS, AND ASK HIM TO CHANGE US. CHANGE OUR HEARTS TO WANT TO BE “JUST LIKE HIM”. WE BECOME DEFINED BY RIGHTEOUSNESS, NOT BY OUR INDIVIDUAL CHOICES AND CONTROL. TRUE FREEDOM IS TO GIVE UP SELF CONTROL, AND TO FIND FREEDOM FROM THE SIN AND BAD CHOICES THAT IMPACT WHO WE ARE. DEEP INSIDE WE BEGIN TO WANT AND DO ONLY WHAT GOD DESIRES FOR US….

BUT NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SET FREE FROM SIN AND HAVE BECOME SLAVES OF GOD, THE BENEFIT YOU REAP LEADS TO HOLINESS, AND THE RESULT IS ETERNAL LIFE. Romans 6:22

I WILL WALK ABOUT IN FREEDOM, FOR I HAVE SOUGHT OUT YOUR PRECEPTS. Psalm 119:45

AS A CHRISTIAN, WE ARE BINDING OUR ACTIONS AND PLANS TO GOD. THESE TRULY MAKE US WEIGH OUR DECISIONS AND ACTIONS BASED ON WHAT GOD TELLS US IS RIGHT AND JUST, AND MAKE NO MISTAKE, THESE CHOICES ARE DEFINED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRETY OF THE BIBLE.

ONCE WE SET OURSELVES ON THIS PATH TO FREEDOM, WE ARE TRULY ABLE TO LIVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE ! WHEN I TALK ABOUT ABUNDANCE TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND HOW IT PERTAINS TO ME, I AM TALKING ABOUT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. ABUNDANCE IS NOT ABOUT MATERIAL POSSESSIONS, AND ALL THE FUN THINGS WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING AND HAVING. LIVING ABUNDANTLY CENTERS AROUND HOW FILLED UP YOU ARE INSIDE IN YOUR TRUST AND CLOSENESS TO THE FATHER, JESUS, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. HOW YOU FEEL WHEN YOUR THIRST FOR THE HEART OF GOD BECOMES SO BIG AND MEANINGFUL IN YOUR LIFE, YOU CAN’T HELP BUT TO WANT TO SING, AND DANCE, AND SHOUT FOR JOY ! “I AM HIS, AND HE LOVES ME UNCONDITIONALLY”. “HE GUIDES ME AND SHOWS ME MY PATH IN THINGS”. “HE IS WITH ME ALWAYS, ENCOURAGING ME, AND COMFORTING ME”. “HE GIVES ME STRENGTH AND HOPE”. “ HE HAS SET ME FREE “.

TAKE SOME TIME RIGHT NOW AND THINK ABOUT WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN YOUR LIFE. THINK ABOUT WHAT FREEDOM AND ABUNDANCE MEAN TO YOU. ARE YOU FREE ? HAVE YOU ASKED GOD TO HELP YOU SEE THE WAY TO HAVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE ? HAVE YOU CONSIDERED IT MIGHT BE TIME TO MEET JESUS, OR IF YOU KNOW HIM, TO GET A LITTLE DEEPER…..PAST YOUR ANKLES ? TAKE A CHANCE…..WHAT YOU FIND JUST MIGHT SET YOU FREE !

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND SEARCH FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR THEY WILL BE FILLED Matthew 5:6

GO DEEPER :) JA