“What Does Freedom Mean To You?”
I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.
It’s the question of the month, what does freedom mean to you?
There are hundreds of references in the Bible that speak about freedom, but in today’s society freedom is looked upon a little differently. We have the freedom to vote, the freedom to speak, the freedom to love, freedom to wear anything you wish.
We invite you to spend a few moments reflecting on what freedom means to you. And we invite you to share your thoughts below.
- What does the Bible say about freedom?
- What verse speaks to you about real freedom?
- With so much freedom around us, how does it get lost in translation?
- What does freedom mean to you?
To answer any of these questions or to make a comment, use the comment box below. To read what others have written, scroll down to the comments below.
Let freedom ring!
Blessings,
The ShareYourStoryNow Team
Please note that the views expressed in this story are not necessarily the views of the American Bible Society. Story posted on July 4th, 2008 and filed under Bible, Your Stories, Verses.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Dear The ShareYourStoryNow Team:
Happy July 4th to you all.
1. The Bible says about freedom:
Basically, in the Old and New Testaments, freedom is good news proclaimed to the captives, slaves, prisoners–to release them from darkness–and thus to “bind up the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1; Jeremiah 34:8).
(Jesus in the Synagogue in Nazarth on the Sabbath reading from the Book of Isaiah) “TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR… TO PROOCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE DOWNTRODDEN” (Luke 4:18).
It also means to walk in God’s way as you have quoted (Psalm 119:45}.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
2. The verse which speaks to me about real freedom being:
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).
3. With so much freedom around us, it gets lost in translation, because:
“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.” (1 Corinthians 10:23).
4. Freedom means to me:
“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12).
Thank you very much.
May GOD ALL MIGHTY Bless each and all of you this Independence Day and Many more Returns of the Day;
GODSPEED, always and forevermore!
Mary Sun.
July 7th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Greetings to All, The scripture that comes to mind when thinking about freedom is John 8:36 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free INDEED!” Being an African American woman and knowing the history of my ancestors and slavery, this passage has such a profound meaning to me. Thinking about how my ancestors lived through the horror of slavery and yet holding on to their faith and believing God for a better life for them as well as their children, grandchildren and all who would live because of their faith; I am so grateful that they believed in the kind of freedom that could happen on earth and yet believe in a greater freedom to come in heaven. Because Jesus paid such a high cost for me, I am grateful to be free. Free to live, free to grow, free to believe, free to stand, free to love and free to be me.
Let freedom ring,
B. Michelle
July 8th, 2008 at 10:01 am
I know that when I was younger I believed that freedom meant doing anything and everything I wanted. I went out late at night, hung out with people I wasn’t supposed to be with and at the end I was left empty and crushed. I realize now how God makes us free from all of those things that can cause us harm and leave us empty inside.
July 8th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Freedom to me means being able to walk and live in the light. Not having to pretend regardless of what others say or think. All thanks and praise to God for the freedom and fellowship we have in Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:5-6:
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
July 21st, 2008 at 9:04 pm
to me freedom is a word that we can live our lives without being afraid and to let myself know it is ok to be diffrent and how we treat one another no matter who we are white or black red and green we all should want to love one another and be able to go out side and want to be enjoy life and God want us to live in freedom its not whatever we want to do and who we want it done in life that is me I want things done my way at but my way is not of God it is for me to live a life that is free and for me Iam diffrent because I have a mile retardation it is for me to be me and Gods way is right for me to do His will on earth and thats freedom to me just be myself and no body else
August 28th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I am still determining what freedom means to me…I’ve never really thought about it before. As I read the Bible and read other Godly and some ungodly opinions around me, I’m finding that freedom is more than “I can do this without getting in trouble, or I can do this and no one has the right to limit me.” Freedom is an obligation to do what is right, BECAUSE we have the freedom to do it. We have the liberty to comply with God’s Will. I suppose one facet of freedom is the ability to do things…like going to the church denomination of your choice….choosing which job will occupy a large portion of your life most likely, picking out which brand of peanut butter you like the best. But freedom itself is sometimes a chain, because it requires us to use it and gives us the responsibility to use it wisely, for Godly purposes.
My favorite verse: “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13