What is freedom?

Most of us hate rules. It's in our DNA. When you try to put a young child to bed, they want to get up and play. When we first go to school, we don't want to sit down and learn the lessons, we want to talk with our new friends. When was the last time that you really obeyed the speed limit? It is in our nature to push against any rule that is imposed on us.

I was talking with this guy at church the other day and he said something that I never really realized before. Before God gives His promised people the 10 commandments, he says:

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." Exodus 20:2. God is basically saying "I HAVE SET YOU FREE!" Just like in the picture above, you can't set something free and hold it in captivity at the same time.

When people think of the 10 Commandments, they think of these oppressive rules that no one is capable of following, but Jesus summed it up this way "

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:37-40

Admittedly, most people would agree with the second one. Most people try to love their neighbors.. or at least those people that are in their circle of friends... but the tough one? The toughest one is loving God... because we naturally want to push away from anything that wants to assert control over us.

But maybe, we should change our perspective.

Do you knot know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16

Although the "freedom" that everyone is looking for seems appealing, it really leads to death and separation from God.

So, today... take a moment and think about what freedoms we have, and let us live out our love for God and show it to those around us.