Today is Independence Day in America.  Who doesn’t love independence, right?  Unless it starts to erode your freedom.

Typically we think of July 4^th as a celebration of freedom and independence.  And to a point, it is.  But at a personal level, our independence becomes a barrier to freedom.  Here’s how that works.

We love to be independent.  We want to be self-sufficient.  And asking for, or seeking outside help, assistance, or direction is antithetical to independence.

• When you’re independent you don’t need Christian community.
• When you’re independent no one has access to your life.
• When you’re independent there’s no one who sees the real you and still loves you.
• When you’re independent you don’t have anyone speaking truth into your life (except the truth you want to hear).
• When you’re independent your blind spots remain hidden and you continue to do what you’ve always done.
• When you’re independent your ability to grow is limited to what YOU can see.
• When you’re independent the things that hold you back don’t ever change.
• When you’re independent like this, you’re actually a prisoner of your independence.
• When you’re independent, the freedom that Christ offers remains elusive.

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

How would your life be different if you didn’t only rely on yourself for the difficult situations in life?  Could it be you would live a life of freedom?  On this Independence Day, why not celebrate your national independence, and then embrace an interdependence that will help you move toward the freedom Jesus offers?

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.  Galatians 6:2-3

Let freedom REALLY ring!

-Pastor Mark