True Freedom: Independence in Christ

July 4th is a day filled with flags, fireworks, family, and freedom.
We celebrate the birth of a nation — the courage to break away, the cost of liberty, the joy of independence.

But even as we honor the freedom we have in our country, I can’t help but think of an even deeper kind of freedom — one that no government can grant and no enemy can take away.

It’s the freedom I found in Christ.

I used to think of freedom as the ability to do whatever I wanted.
But real freedom — lasting freedom — is found in being set free from what held me captive:

• Free from shame

• Free from fear

• Free from the weight of my burdens

• Free from trying to earn love

• Free from sin’s grip and guilt

Jesus didn’t just set me free from something.
He set me free for something: to share joy, have peace, find purpose, and hear his truth.

When we think of independence, we often think of standing on our own.
But spiritual independence means something different.
It means I no longer depend on the world to tell me who I am.
I depend on Christ.

It means I’m no longer a slave to people’s opinions.
I serve the One who made me.

It means I can walk boldly — not because I’m strong — but because He is.

Every time I write a lyric about pain I'm going through…
Every time I share a testimony about my journey…
Every time I speak honestly about the valleys I’ve walked through…

…I’m using my freedom in Christ.

And if you’re reading this and feeling stuck, small, or silenced — know this:
There is freedom for you too.