July 4th is a significant day for Americans each year. It is a day in which every citizen of the United States is invited to pause, reflect, and celebrate the liberty our nation's forefathers provided through their sacrifice and resolve. We remember such significant historical documents as the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and the Emancipation Proclamation. We are reminded that freedom came at a high price, and therefore we honor the many defenders of our country, past and present.

The older I get the more emotional and reverent I become around such holidays. I didn't understand as a child, or even as a younger man, just how precious a gift it is to live in the United States of America. I, like many other Americans, took for granted all the privileges that our freedom provides. Privileges such as traveling freely, purchasing whatever I want (as long as I can afford it!), and proclaiming my opinions openly without threat of government reprisal. But now I understand the great costs that were paid to purchase such freedom, and I stand in silence, honoring those who shed their blood, faced ridicule and persecution, all for the sake of what they could provide for future generations.

Unfortunately, our young country has grown arrogant. We have forgotten, or simply ignored, history. We have deceived ourselves into thinking that we deserve the rights we have been afforded and that freedom doesn't require ongoing sacrifice and defense. And in our arrogance we have embraced a subtle lie that freedom is actually about INdependence. It's not. Even our founding fathers understood this.

While we may never be able to uncover every reason behind the founding of America, one thing stands out prominently when studying the history of this land: America was established to escape government controlled, and imposed, religion. Certainly, many of the original settlers may have had other motives, not the least of which was the prospects of wealth. But when it came to organizing a system of government for this new land, the founders made two things abundantly clear: Life and freedom are gifts from God, and each citizen must be protected to worship Him freely.

Freedom ultimately comes from God. Our founders even knew this when they acknowledged that our "unalienable rights" were "endowed by [our] Creator." If true freedom is to be understood and enjoyed in any nation, it must acknowledge that such freedom can only originate, and be sustained, through dependence on our Creator. This is so key to understand, otherwise a person is prone to become self-absorbed, somehow believing that freedom (and all its privileges) came from within rather than from above.

We often understand this on an experiential level, this idea that freedom is from God and bondage is from self, but it isn't easy to overcome. Our life experiences keep telling us that whenever we attempt to do things our way, without regard for God and His Word, we fail. Oh, it may appear for a while that it is all working fine, but that is just appearances. The deep places of the heart are left cold and empty when we choose to reject God's authority. We may live in a "free country," but without daily dependence on our Creator, we are really enslaved in our soul.

The good news is that true freedom is available for anyone, no matter what country they live in or government that presides over them. This freedom comes through faith in Jesus, the One who paid the full penalty for our sin so that we wouldn't have to. In Jesus, we have the opportunity to enjoy abundant life, a life of true freedom and peace, regardless of circumstance or physical challenges or obstacle. This freedom is experienced when we choose a posture of dependence rather than INdependence. Choosing to follow Jesus rather than self will bring about indescribable joy, even as the world around you changes or worsens.

There is even more good news about this kind of freedom. When you grow in your dependence on God, you won't be entangled in destructive thoughts and behaviors. You won't keep spinning in your addictions or compulsions. You won't be striving for acceptance or approval through workaholism or perfectionism. You will find your true satisfaction in knowing that your sins are forgiven and you are fully loved by your Maker. Then, you will understand with gratitude what it means to be endowed with "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Are you experiencing freedom today? Don't assume that the country you live in determines the answer to this question. Where your heart is will determine the answer. Is it fully dependent on the Creator? Or are you living independently from Him? True freedom is found in dependence...pause, reflect and celebrate such liberty today.

Tags: blog, faith, freedom