Short devotion: Fear vs Freedom John 3:16

 John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)

 We live in scary times because of all the uncertainty that we’re experiencing. We try to live our lives as normally as we can, but currently there seems to be so many setbacks that none of us can find a ‘normal’ routine. As creatures of habit, who have mostly relied upon things being stable, we find this deeply troubling and worrisome. As our worries increase, so do our fears; and as they increase, our freedom diminishes. Fear is the opposite of freedom – why? Because fear imprisons us.

 Freedom, however, is not the right to do what we want and act recklessly – that’s actually foolishness. Freedom is the God-given ability that human beings have to do the right thing at the right time, and not to do what we want just because we desire it. Sadly, so many people mistake selfishness for freedom and confuse their rights with their faith. Christ used His faith and freedom to save the world which involved sacrifice, humility, and love, so shouldn’t we as Christians be willing to show and do the same?

 God didn’t have to send Jesus into the world to become the cure for our sins, but love compelled Him.

 Jesus didn’t have to give up His life to grant us forgiveness, but our freedom required it.

 We don’t have to care for one another, but faith expects it, so we, who call ourselves ‘Christian’, should be at the forefront of doing what we can for others, not just for ourselves. If we are more concerned about our individual rights than the common good, then we need to get back to the Cross and look up at Jesus and ask ourselves this: what rights did He give up to fix our wrongs?

 Prayer: Lord Jesus, release us from fear by showing us the freedom that love provides. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

 John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to see what’s happening at the church, please visit the website at www.erinpres.org.

 Today’s image is one of John’s drawings called “Son Set.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click here: Son Set.