Your Heart Is Free

Yesterday after church, my bride and I came home, fixed lunch and then did what we usually do on a Sunday afternoon, we rested. As I waited for lunch to finish cooking, I was flipping through the channels to see what show I would watch during my nap. This weekend was a free Showtime weekend on Direct TV, so I was looking to see if there were any movies I may not have seen yet that were showing. What I found was "Braveheart". Now I own the director's version of this movie and have watched it more times than I can actually remember, but if I'm not doing anything important and it is on, I'll always stop and watch it.

There was a line in the movie that caught my attention this time watching it, and it really struck a chord with me. Young William's father and brother have been killed by the English, and he is dreaming about his dad. They are laying side by side in his dream when his father turns his head to look at William and says, "Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it." Here is rough video of the scene:

As I pondered the words of William's father, I couldn't help but think about my life as a Christian. That is after all the whole reason that Jesus came, to free us. Look at this passage in Galatians 5:1 AMP "In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery[which you have once put off]."

Here's the deal, Jesus purchased our freedom with His death, burial and resurrection. Why then, do we not live free? And I'm not talking just about living lives that are entangled with sin so much as just the fact that we sometimes don't enjoy the freedom that Jesus has given us. It's like prisoners of war, even after the fact that they have been freed, sometimes they don't really know what to do with that freedom. For obvious reasons they are a little bit skiddish about what to do once they have been liberated.

I think we as Christians do that too. We live almost in fear sometimes that we are going to do something wrong, or embarrass ourselves so we hold back. All the while the Father is watching us, maybe even inspiring us to let loose a little, but because of fear we never really act out what perhaps deep in our hearts we really want to do.

If our hearts are truly free, and we were to live like it, what would that look like exactly? I think it would be that our days would be full, and vibrant with a life people would envy. We are told to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us. (1 Peter 3:15) How many times has that happened to you? I mean do you live in a such a way that people look at you and wonder about why you are as alive as you are? If our hearts are truly free in the way that Jesus wants them to be, then people will wonder about it, and ask you.

So, if we are not being asked about the hope that is within us, it makes me wonder if we are truly living free? I think we need to reevaluate what we are doing as Christians, don't you? After all, as Christians we are the ones who have the answer to life's challenges, and His name is Jesus. So let's get out there and live as if our hearts really are as free as Jesus made them.

Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!