As you remember, we celebrated Memorial Day earlier this week. Now for most of us, Memorial Day means a day off of work, grilling out with family and friends, swimming, and a fun kickoff to the summer months. But for many others, Memorial Day is anything but fun. It is a stark, painful reminder of the loss that they have endured. For these people, Memorial Day is filled with tears, heartache, and regret.
The observance of this holiday was originally known as Decoration Day and started in 1868, about three years after the start of the Civil War. It was established as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the Union war dead with flowers. By the time the 20th century rolled around, Union and Confederate holiday traditions that were originally celebrated on different days had merged, the result being that Memorial Day would serve as a day to honor all Americans who died while serving in the military.
I am ashamed to say that I was one of those people that always viewed Memorial Day as a day off of work. But this year was different. I was gripped with a sense of gratitude as I looked around at people that I know and love that were and are grappling with their loss. I was overcome with a sense of immense thankfulness at the fact that people died in order to secure my freedom to be able to grill out and hang with my family on that day. While I was playing with my kids, I was acutely aware of the grim fact that there were those children who longed to play with their mommies and daddies again but would not. My freedom was bought with a price.
In the same way, my spiritual freedom was bought with a price as well. Because of the redeeming and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, I have eternal freedom. The apostle Paul said it well in Galatians 5:1 (NIV): “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.” In other words, Christ died a death that He did not deserve in order to secure my eternal freedom. This means that through His power working in my life, the chains of slavery and bondage have been broken. I am a new creature through Him and am no longer held prisoner to the trappings of this world.
Because I have my freedom through my decision to follow Jesus Christ, I am called to leave the things of my sinful nature behind. Paul warns against using our freedom in Christ to return to the things of this world in the thirteenth verse of Galatians 5: “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Because I am a new creation, I am called to live a new life-one that is focused on love and service to others.
I am so thankful for those who died so that I can enjoy my freedoms in this most wonderful country. I am even more thankful that Christ died so that I can have full freedom from sin and death. Because of those freedoms, I am committed to live my life in such a way that others might see my gratitude. I never want to take my freedom for granted.
What about you? Have you found true freedom in Christ? Are you living your life in gratitude for that freedom or are you taking it for granted? Let’s not play around with our freedom. Let’s remember that Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice because of His immense love for us. Let’s live lives that point others to seeking and finding that true freedom in Him.
Until Next Week,
Pastor JP
