“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 NIV
I grew up reading the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I found it fascinating how different life was just a hundred years ago. One difference I remember was how Independence Day was celebrated. I grew up in Eagan, when the biggest event of the year was the 4th of July celebration held in the park behind my home. There were carnival rides, games, and foods of every kind. Plus, there were turtle races, fireworks, and a big parade. It lasted for several days.
On the 4th of July in Laura’s little two-block town, there was only one barrel of warm lemonade (which everyone drank from using the same dipper!). There was a buggy race and a reading of the Declaration of Independence. That was about it. Oh, Pa did surprise his little girls with a special treat for lunch. He bought them smoked herring to go with their bread and butter! With nothing else to do, they soon walked back home.
But Laura remembers having a revelation that day about freedom. She realized that being free means we do not serve any king on earth. “No king bosses Pa,” she writes. “He has to boss himself.” But she didn’t mean this in the childish “You’re not the boss of me! I can do anything I want” kind of way. She says that it is God who makes us free. And it is in following God’s laws that we find our true freedom.
This echoes Paul’s words to the Galatians. They have been set free by Christ so they can live by the Spirit. They do not have to be slaves to their old sins and selfishness. They are free to choose a better way. “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13 NLT). Real independence comes when we depend on God, freely serving God and others in all that we do.
I hope you have more than warm lemonade and smoked herring this 4th of July. I hope you find an opportunity to reflect on the freedom we have in Christ and how it calls us to serve others in his name.
Pastor Mark