Sister to Sister: Freedom

Welcome to Sister to Sister, a time every Thursday for Christian women to connect from the heart. Life is challenging and beautiful, most importantly it's meant to be shared. I've been inspired by many women, including you! Hearing stories of hope in hard times, joy in the every day, and freedom from fear lifts my heart!

Sister to Sister is the opportunity for you to write words of truth and honesty that bring encouragement to other sisters. It may be a personal story, a lesson God is teaching, or scripture you'd like to share. Be creative, be expressive, be real.

"He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." Ephesians 4:16

Here's how it works:

* Every week I'll give a word to focus on.

* Try to keep your post under 500 words. 

* Link up bellow and spread the love! Visit other sister's posts and let them know what their words mean to you!

*Grab the code for the Sister to Sister link up button from the sidebar to the right, or copy and paste the image to the left embedding a link, and invite others to join.  

Are you ready? Join me this week in inspiring other women with your thoughts on:

Freedom...

Love of self kills our freedom in Christ.

"Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love." Galatians 5:13

Conforming to the image others have for us, out of fear, leaves us prisoners.

"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

 

Laws; self imposed, government imposed, church imposed, never lead to freedom.

"I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts." Psalm 119:45

 Searching for freedom in the face of another love is dangerous.

"He has sent me [Jesus] to proclaim freedom for the prisoners... to set the oppressed free." Luke 4:18b-19a

 Freedom on earth is a temporary truce, anything else is surrender.

"Creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God." Romans 8:21

 Pride tears down freedom, man never authors freedom he enters into it.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Corinthians 3:17

 We don't fight for freedom, as something to win, we live in it. 

"In him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." Ephesians 3:12

 Freedom without responsibility or love is not freedom, it's petulant self-indulgence.

"Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil." 1 Peter 2:16

Freedom is everywhere, if we're looking for it. It takes eyes focused, not on ourselves, or others, but on the crucified and risen Christ Jesus. 

"For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality... Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory." Colossians 2:17, 3:1-4

Now that's freedom!

Do you live set free, in liberated joy? What's holding you back from living in freedom today?