Individual Freedom
Let Freedom Ring! Every July 4th, we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. On this day, the Continental Congress formally announced the separation of the United States from the British Empire and the birth of a new nation, the United States of America. Today, we celebrate that momentous occasion with fireworks, family, friends, and food. There’s nothing like a good party.
What we tend to forget is that the adoption of the Declaration of Independence was the easy part. Our founding fathers spent eight years fighting for their lives and our independence. They understood the cost for their freedom... and ours. Despite overwhelming odds, they believed that freedom and independence were worth the cost. I do wonder if they would have started the fight if they knew how long and how much it would cost them.
We live in a culture that values immediacy. We microwave our food, buy things on credit, and pack our calendars full of activities, among other things. However, as they say, “Rome was not built in a day.” Most things in life that are the most important or valuable don’t happen overnight (unlike your oats.)
As I consider the concept of individual freedom, I must acknowledge that we need time to fight the necessary battles to achieve it. We all have demons of varying weight. Some of the demons are of our choosing, and unfortunately, some of the demons we have are the result of others’ bad decisions. I don’t know which demon is worse, but they are both demons.
I also know that to exorcise our demons, we need friends who know us and care for us. In the church world, this is called koinonia fellowship. A friendship that is built upon a person being known - demons and all - and not having a fear of judgment or rejection. That’s the type of friendship that we all want, or better yet, need. I like to call them 2 a.m. friends.
Why do these types of friendships matter? They matter because they allow us to find, know, and live in freedom. I know that we see this biblical principle in several addiction communities, like Alcoholics Anonymous. The first thing is to admit your addiction. “Hi, I am Chris. I am _____.” Every addiction community will tell you that acknowledging your addiction is the first step to finding freedom. None of them will tell you it is easy. They admit up front that finding freedom from addiction is extremely difficult, and you will probably fail at some points in the journey, but it is worth it. They even provide you with friends who are further ahead in their journey to listen, encourage, and be available - without judgment.
As we reflect on our recent celebration of Independence Day, I hope you find yourself free. Free from the things in life that weigh our hearts, minds, and souls down. If not, find a friend. If not, find a community. If not, find a counselor. If you don’t have these friends in your life, I pray that you find them. Let freedom ring.