The freedom I found in my mid-thirties gave me a brand-new way of looking at life. It changed how I saw myself—not just who I used to be, but who I truly am in Christ.
For a long time, I thought freedom meant being able to do whatever I wanted. I thought it meant having no limits and answering to no one. But the more I grew in my walk with God, the more I learned that real freedom is much deeper than that.
Real freedom is not living without boundaries. Real freedom is living without being controlled by fear, shame, people’s opinions, past mistakes, or anything that once had power over me.
Jesus showed me that freedom is not found in trying to prove myself, please everybody, or chase everything the world says will make me happy. True freedom is found in Him. Through Christ, I began to see myself as loved, forgiven, chosen, and made new.
The Bible says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). That means true freedom comes from God’s presence in our lives. When we turn to Christ, He helps remove the things that kept us confused, stuck, or weighed down.
But freedom in Christ does not mean we get to do anything and everything just because we can. It means we are no longer slaves to the things that hurt us. First Corinthians 6:12 reminds us that not everything we have the right to do is good for us, and we should not allow anything to master us.
Galatians 5:13-14 also reminds us that we were called to be free, but not to use that freedom for selfish living. Instead, we are called to serve one another with love and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
That is the kind of freedom I am thankful for. It is the freedom to walk in truth, live with purpose, love people better, and become more of who God created me to be.
Freedom in Christ changed my perspective because it helped me stop living from the weight of my past and start living from the truth of God’s love. I am not perfect, but I am free. And every day, I am learning to use that freedom to honor God, grow in wisdom, and love others well.
Minister A Francine Green, August 2026