WHAT IS TRUE FREEDOM?

God created horses as prey animals and therefore their natural instinct is to be on guard, to protect themselves, always being ready to flee from possible danger. We like to think of wild horse herds as being free. Free to roam, free from human influence, free to just be themselves! And to some degree this is true, but sadly it’s changing more and more as wild herds are being impacted by human development, fencing, taxpayer funded rounds ups, etc. And while the horses may be “free”, droughts affect their ability to find food and water. On top of this, wild horses, again, are constantly on the lookout for danger. Their goal is simply to survive.

This reminds me a lot of us, especially those of us who live in America and are all about our “freedoms”. What is true freedom, though? How many people have all the “rights” and “freedoms” afforded to us in this country, yet they are in constant emotional fear and turmoil, unable to let their guard down, merely trying to survive. But we are created for more than mere survival.

• Thriving means engaging with life proactively, to see challenges as opportunities for growth, and to pursue things that give life meaning.
• In contrast, survival mode is often reactive, managing stress as it arises without creating space for real joy or fulfillment.

In John 8:36, Jesus states, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Does this mean we can do whatever we want, free from restrictions and constraints?

Our rescued horses are not wild and free, they have fence boundaries surrounding them. Yet they know they are safe, they have a trusted leader, they are protected, cared for and are thriving in having a greater purpose than mere survival. But that didn’t come without intentional effort. The horses did not immediately trust or respect me as their leader, they fought me. They experience the same fear of giving up control as we often do. They need to know they can trust who they’re surrendering to, same as us.

Being “free in Christ” means being freed from the enslaving power of sin and instead having the ability to live in obedience to God.  He is the Good Shepherd Who leads His flock, and when we trust that His ways are best and His boundaries for us are what keep us safe and able to thrive, rather than being enslaved by our own desires and the world’s influences, this is True Freedom.