“My liberty depends on you being free too.” Barack Obama

Christ was sent as a liberator of souls and commissions us to work for the same. It is not just my own personal freedom that matters, but also the freedom of my neighbor. Adopt the tribal mentality that holds to heart the belief that we should never cross the finish line alone. Cherish your own freedom, and work for the freedom of others.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”  Is.61.1 “Conversations Within” ts 2/19/2019

“Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to.” Gladiator

 Do I consider the responsibilities that I perform each day as expressions of my freedom, or impediments to it. One thing is for certain, we are free to choose our attitude about doing them. I may not want to cut my grass, and may prefer to do something else, but am I being responsible to myself and my neighbors if I don’t. Duty should not be an infringement of our freedom but the delight of it. Duty becomes delight when love directs our choices. Here is freedom worth having.

“We were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”  “Conversations Within” ts 2/19/2019

“Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.” Moche Dayon

The power to choose is one aspect of freedom that we all enjoy, in varying degrees of course. There are natural limitations. Most of us cannot choose to go to Paris for lunch. But the privilege of choice is a sacred gift and those choices within our reach are designed to enrich out life not enslave us. God blessed Adam and Eve with this precious freedom in the garden and it would do us well to remember the consequences of how they chose.

“And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;  but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Gen.2.16-17 “Conversations Within” ts 2/16/2019

”What then is freedom? The power to live as one wishes.” Unknown

I think most of us place great value on our freedom. I also think most of us get miffed when something, or someone attempts to restrict it. The simple truth is that all of us need laws, even circumstances that limit us from doing all of the things we might want to do. The reason is that some of those things are harmful to others. We do well to remember that our freedoms end where the freedom of others begin.

“But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Gal.5   “Conversations Within” ts 2/16/2019

“Plans are nothing. Planning is everything.” Dwight D. Eisenhower

Plans often fail for lack of planning properly. I have come to realize that if I want to get the most out of something, I need to think it through and make adequate preparation for it. An ordinary event may become extraordinary simply by giving it some forethought. This is not to say that some events may be enriched simply by planning to have no plans and take it as it comes. Balance is everything. 

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Prov.16.3 “Conversations Within” ts 2/15/2019