Spiritually speaking, no one is free. We are either a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness. If we are enslaved by habitual sin, we cannot free ourselves by our own efforts. It can only be done through surrendering ourselves to God. Some may say that they don’t habitually sin and therefore aren’t enslaved by sin. That is a great thought but in reality, we all seek freedom. We might be a slave to things that we don’t consider to be sin. For instance, maybe we don’t let go of our fears, past hurts, a negative self-image, or an obsession with things or people, all which enslave us and rob us of peace. Then we find ourselves locked up inside of a cage which we built with the help of our own sinful nature.

Before I came to know who God really is and who I am, I was craving for freedom from the shackles of the world! Although I have felt the tug of war inside, here’s what I have come to realize; I must muster the courage to stop bowing to desires of my flesh and let the Spirit of righteousness free me from slavery to worldly desires, and lead and guide me to peace and freedom. To be honest with you, in some areas of my life I am getting better but others I still struggle as a work in progress.                                         I wanted to release myself from the bars which enclosed me. But I couldn’t do it by my own effort, I needed a bigger power, the Lord my God to strengthen me.

While I was craving for freedom from the chains of the world and the flesh, heaven was calling me again, with new visions to consider. I dreamt I was sitting at the foot of a mountain for quite a long time. I meditated, prayed, and pondered whether or not I should take the journey up to the top of the mountain which God was offering me. When I woke up, it was back to reality again and I knew in my heart God was telling me, “Get up, it’s time to move.” I asked myself, “Do I want to stay here in this land of pain, in a land filled with empty promises, selfishness, fear, pretentiousness, and deception, or should I take this journey – a walk up a path with signs pointing to hidden treasures along the way?” The treasures were love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I had no doubt that this path was filled with truth! I was eager to know God, I wanted to know how to live a life filled with enduring peace.
I began my journey by making some difficult changes which needed to occur. These changes manifested themselves as crawling in my vision. Moving slowly on my hands and knees up a steep road in my dream mirrored the struggles that I was having in real life. I wanted to release myself from the stronghold of the world’s distractions and bondage. To be free from the need to always please others or the desire of my own flesh. To live my life concerned only with pleasing God. For I knew that everything else would fall into place. Spiritual freedom sounds so incredibly sweet – sweet as honey and precious as a jewel. I was craving it! So I pressed forward in faith. There were many turns, twists and even a few setbacks. But it was in the detours that I learned the biggest lessons! I was slowly getting to know myself and others, and most importantly, I was beginning to know my God.
During this journey I was completely aware of the visible world. But I needed to put all my trust into what I could not see with my eyes. How could I trust and keep going forward toward the heavenly treasures promised? Praise God! I had an army of godly people who were praying and supporting me. This army included my dear husband and children who were each on their own unique journey. But they all were witnessing God’s miraculous work in my life. I was getting fixed from the inside out.
The changes were happening as the Lord was unveiling His mystery. I could hear that the “deep” was calling to the depths of my soul. (Psalm 119:45) “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.”
So here is the question for you; how would you describe freedom? Have you received this precious jewel yet, or perhaps you’re in the midst of a tug of war right now?