“…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17b

 Terry and I are co-leaders for a small group at our church. A couple of years ago we attended a bible study called “Freedom” authored by the lead Pastor Chris Hodges of The Highlands Church. A very timely lesson for what we are facing now in the world. Just 2 years later we find ourselves living with the loss of, and a battle for, our freedoms. During this time of COVID, this study is bringing much more enlightenment for us today than it ever did back then. Those rights and freedoms we lost during COVID seem so minimal to what our fellow human beings are now losing in the war in Ukraine.

Our human rights and freedoms, no matter how small or seemingly unjustified, were given to us by God and not by man. So, no matter how minimal or large those freedoms seem to the world they are, in fact, being tested by mere man. In this testing, we have a choice of how we look at it and how we react. This is very much our responsibility and is not to be taken lightly. We need to seek God first, then get wise counsel and ultimately test it against the Word. Always keep this is in mind; every decision has a consequence. And not only do our individual decisions affect us, but they also affect our families and our circle of influence. They may even cause generational consequences lasting much longer than our lifetime.

Along with freedoms given to us by God, there are also God’s laws that are set in stone, (literally “The 10 Commandments”) and then the added commandments from our Lord Jesus. Such as, “Love One Another and Pray for Your Enemies.” These are God’s laws that we need to follow for our own good and those of others. If at any time our choices move beyond these, there are dire consequences.

Take the Fifth Commandment, “You shall not kill” – this is a freedom of choice that God is not in favor of, and I know His heart is breaking for all who are suffering right now in Ukraine. I am sure His anger is fierce against those in control of this war. I can’t say I know why God let’s this continue, only that there will be consequences beyond all that we can believe or imagine. Yet, I have had a hard time surrendering my fierce feeling of seeing this evil come to justice. I remind myself often that we must give all our rights of seeking justice to God, that His ways are not my ways.

What about this Commandment, that may seem so easy for us to follow, “Taking a Sabbath, a day of rest”? This should be simple and is so good for us. Yet it is so easy to walk on the other side and not always obey. We need to be aware of all the things we do in our businesses, our church, and family life surrendering how we do them to God and His wisdom not in ours.

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