Celebrating Freedom (Caroline Taylor)

As we celebrate the 4th of July and Americas 250th birthday, I can’t help but be overwhelmed with gratitude for the freedom that the Lord has blessed us with. He has allowed us to live in a place where we can freely share our faith in the One who saved our souls and freed us from sin and death. He has called us to freedom, as Galatians 5:13 says. Paul goes on to instruct us all to not use the freedom God has given us for our fleshly desires, but to use it to serve one another in love. I think about Jesus, who used His free will to leave His throne in Heaven and chose to die for a sinner like me. And what a gift that is. I think about all those in places all around the world who go to crazy lengths and risk so much, even risking their lives to share the Gospel to those around them. I think about how lucky I am that someone cared enough about me to share the Truth of the Gospel with me. I think about the joy, peace, and hope that comes from knowing the Lord. If Jesus loved me enough to use His free will to die to save me from my sins, then I should love others enough to use my free will to share the best news ever to everyone around me.