This weekend for Americans is a time of celebrating freedom.  It is one of our holidays where we celebrate the freedoms we have had (albeit changing all the time) and remembering those who have given so much for our freedom.  I know few people who don’t want freedom.  As a kid I couldn’t wait until I could drive so I could have freedom.  As a college student, I couldn’t wait until I could get a job and live on my own and enjoy my freedom.  As an adult, I hope for a financial windfall so I can get out of debt and do whatever I want to do with my financial freedom.

One of my favorite movies is Braveheart starring Mel Gibson as William Wallace.  Wallace was a brave man fighting for freedom for his country and his life.  In the end he is captured and killed.  Right before he is executed, he shouts “FREEDOM!!!!”  so those all around could hear his dying word was the hope he had given his life for.

Freedom isn’t free.

Today, i was greeted with an email with the following prayer…

“Father, today I come boldly to You. Thank You for giving me life through Your Son, Jesus.  I surrender every area of my heart to You and ask that You make me whole and complete. Set me free and show me the keys to every blessing You have for me in Jesus’ name.  Amen.” – Joel and Victoria Osteen

A price has been paid for my freedom in eternity but I still seek freedom in this life.  Freedom from worry.  Freedom from fear.  Freedom from insecurity.  Freedom from financial pain.  Freedom from emotional strife.  Freedom to live with expectation and excitement.  Freedom to live seeing the world from a lens of hope and compassion.  Freedom to be able to live in a way I can minister to the hurting and the hungry and the poor and the lost.  Oh God, I cry out for the freedom you can provide me.

I have to remember that freedom isn’t free.  As the prayer says, I need to surrender some things that I hold on to.  I need to surrender my security blankets and my ways of how things should be and open myself to what God wants but it’s not easy.  The freedom I want comes with a price.

Lord, today I recognize I want things my way instead of yours.  Today I want to renounce the insecurities of opening my heart to you and others.  Lord, I am making a decision to remove those insecurities from my mind, to let go and throw them out into the cold.  Today, I replace those thoughts with these; that you love me and that you want to provide me a full and joy-filled life, that you have my best interests at heart today and forever and that I can trust in you to provide all I need.  Father, I call on you to deliver me from what holds me down and give me a life of freedom.  I ask for that right now, this day Father.  I believe in your power.  Amen.

Grace and peace.