“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."
- John 8:36
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”
- Galatians 5:1
My human has been talking a lot about freedom this week.
In our neighborhood there are flags on porches, bunting on fences, and enough hamburgers and hotdogs headed for grills to make a dog’s nose twitch with excitement.
I heard him say we’re celebrating 250 years of living in a free country.
That sounds like a long time… especially in dog years.
Now, I’ll admit, I like freedom too.
I like running across the yard with my ears flopping in the wind.
I like chasing squirrels I’ll never catch.
I like lying in the shade without anyone telling me to move.
But here’s something I’ve noticed.
The happiest moments in my day aren’t when I’m running off by myself.
They’re when I’m close to my human.
I don’t wear my collar because I’m trapped.
I wear it because I belong.
I don’t come when he calls because I have to.
I come because I’ve learned his voice always leads somewhere good—even if it’s just a scratch behind the ears or a ride in the car.
This morning I watched him reading his Bible knowing the fireworks are coming this weekend.
He smiled and said, “The greatest freedom isn’t doing whatever I want. It’s becoming who God created me to be.”
I tilted my head.
I do that when he’s saying something important.
You see, I think finally figured it out.
He’s free.
Not because he can do whatever he wants.
He’s got bills, responsibilities, aches and pains, and worries just like everybody else.
He’s free because those things don’t own him.
He’s free to forgive instead of staying angry.
Free to give instead of holding tight.
Free to hope when the news says panic.
Free to love people who aren’t always easy to love.
That kind of freedom doesn’t come from a document signed long ago.
It comes from a Savior who stretched out His hands on an old rugged cross.
I’m thankful for this country and for the freedoms we’ve been blessed to enjoy.
They are gifts worth protecting and celebrating.
But the greatest freedom ever given wasn’t won on a battlefield.
It was won at an empty tomb.
Maybe freedom isn’t the absence of boundaries.
Maybe it’s the presence of the One who sets us free.
I’ve seen dogs run away looking for freedom only to end up hungry, scared, and lost.
I’ve also seen what happens when I stay close to the one who loves me.
There’s peace.
Provision.
Protection.
Purpose.
Sounds a lot like following Jesus.
As we celebrate the blessings of living in a free nation, I’m thankful for those who sacrificed so we can enjoy those freedoms.
But I’m even more thankful for the Savior who paid an even greater price so our hearts could be truly free.
Because political freedom is a wonderful gift.
But Spiritual freedom is an eternal one.
Even an old dog knows to celebrate both the blessings of liberty and the greater freedom found in Christ.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
