Really Freedom

“Freedom is the privilege to do what you want, but not having to.”
Loren Thornburg

Memorial Day first began to honor Union soldiers who had died in the American Civil War. At its origin they really honored freedom because they had experienced what it was like not to be free. Today, for most of us, freedom has been a way of life, and even an entitlement, rather than a privilege. It is defined as having the power to do as one wants without hinderance. Yet, I think it is not truly defined without the additional definition often included which is “the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved” (American Oxford Dictionaries). Often we abuse freedom taking it as a reason to do whatever we want, not realizing we have become enslaved to what we want. It’s not really freedom if you are not free to not do what you want as well. As we honor Memorial Day and remember those who have died let us remember the true privilege of freedom. Freedom that doesn’t have to do what you want is really free.

“I will heal their faithlessness; I will love them freely, for my anger is turned away from Israel.”
Hosea 14:4 AMP

God loves freely. Even after being pushed away and rejected by Israel who has abandoned God by turning to pagan idols God still loves Israel. We see this paralleled with the undying love of Hosea to his adulterous wife in the book of Hosea. Both show us what it looks like to love freely. It is not based on what is easy or on the actions of someone else as I find my love can be. Often it seems we love based on how we are loved, on what feels good, or on what we want; but that is not loving freely. God loves freely and as we receive more of this kind of love, not based on anything, we find more freedom to really love others in that way too. Be loved with this love that loves freely so you can love others freely as well. This is freedom, when you can really love hindered by nothing, in spite of everything.