Let Freedom Ring!

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom]. 2 Corinthians 3:17 AMP

On June 19, we celebrated Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States – specifically that on June 19, 1865, enslaved men and women in Texas found out that they were free. Although the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, freed slaves in Confederate states many of those states did not obey Lincoln's order and kept the news of freedom from their slaves to keep them working. As a result, freed slaves remained enslaved and in bondage due to their lack of knowledge that they were free. The base scripture and Juneteenth led me to reflect on how we allow ourselves to live in bondage even though Jesus’ death on the cross offers us full emancipation, freedom, and liberty. Some of you are unaware that you have access to that type of freedom, but **spoiler alert** YOU DO!

Let me cue you in on something – the adversary comes to steal, kill, and destroy and does not want you to access the freedom you have in God. We must remember that satan is a LIAR and the truth is not in him – he wants you to stay bound to worry and past mistakes, betrayals, trauma, pain, failures, and hurts. He doesn't want you to walk and live in the truth that Jesus came so you can have life and life more abundantly till the full – until it overflows. Abundant means more than ordinary – and in this context, it means a superabundance of a thing. You were not called to be ordinary, live an ordinary life, or to just survive or get by. God desires for us to live in abundance – an abundance of peace, love, strength, joy, patience, blessings, meaning, increase, and much more. Experiencing that type of freedom and overflow requires accepting what God is offering – salvation.

Truth be told, we keep ourselves bondage for past mistakes for which God has already forgiven us, by refusing to forgive others and ourselves, unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others (hello to the perfectionists out there!), and the list goes on and on. The good news is that God wants to free you from bondage, worry, negative generational patterns, past trauma and hurt, other people's opinions and expectations, mistakes of your past, and unhealthy habits so you can walk in the fullness of your purpose and the greatness placed within you. Yes, there IS greatness within you. You are not a replica or a duplicate – you are an original, unique creation made in the beautiful and glorious image of God. You have a purpose on this Earth!

Society and even some of your family and friends may try to entice you to be someone else, or make you feel like you must “keep up with the Jones,” dress a certain way, speak a certain way, live in the best neighborhood, drive the most expensive car, have a high-level job title or behave in a way that’s contrary to your purpose in order to matter. God wants you to know that He loves you and you matter solely because you’re His child and are made in His image. Before you were born, He knew you – meaning He knew every mistake you would make and still gave you purpose and loves you unconditionally. God wants you to be free to be the amazing individual you’ve been purposed to be -- free to be your true self.

This freedom is offered to you solely because God loves you. Since if the Son (Jesus) sets you free, then you are unquestionably free, don't let anyone or anything lead you back in bondage. 2 Colossians 2:8 sums it up perfectly in stating: "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception [pseudo-intellectual babble], according to the tradition [and musings] of mere men, following the elementary principles of this world, rather than following [the truth—the teachings of] Christ."

So let freedom ring!

- Chan