The word freedom is defined by Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary as “the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action.” Freedom is a gift from God; it is the capacity to choose. God created man and woman in His own image, which means we were, molded after God himself. He created each one of us as individuals; who are free to choose values, a mate, a profession, our attitudes and the way we treat others, In “The Gift of Human Freedom” by Sachs, the issue of freedom is clearly depicted as one of our greatest attributes for being human. We are not just robots directed by God above, but rather we are individuals who will determine the outcome of our own lives, whether good or bad. I will explore the issue of free choice by sharing some of my own personal choices and decisions, which have a direct impact on the course of my life.
Humans are “not merely God’s works; but are created to be God’s image” (Sachs, 17). God created us with complete personalities modeled after His own image. He gave us the capacity to think clearly, feel deeply, and the freedom to choose. There are however, some limitations that do not allow us to completely choose everything, which include the inability to choose where you are born your family history, genetic makeup and culture. Within there parameters, there are a lot of possibilities and choices that will determine the successes and failures in a person’s life. The real you is shown in the basic attitude toward God, others and yourself. You alone, have the ability to choose to be good or evil, to love instead of hate. In essence, you are what you do. Within all of freedoms there also comes a lot of responsibilities that go along with freedom. Not only are we to be God’s image bearer but also to be His companions to help be a ruler and a caretaker for the creation. In the end, God will hold us accountable according to what we have done with the responsibilities he has given us. We have capacity to commit ourselves to become somebody and to use our lives in a productive manner.
Attitude is one of the most important freedoms, because it not only affects you but it also affects those around you. One major contributor to our attitude is the people we choose to associate with, which will be a reflection of what we too will be like. Freedom also gives us the ability to reach beyond ourselves, to realize that there is someone greater than we are and can help us handle our problems. The most important freedom is to love God, but this required self-sacrifice and promises. The only things to keep in mind with self-sacrifice are that God puts boundaries in our lives only to protect us from being self-destructive. He knows what will truly make us happy, so why would want to compromise our true happiness? Again, it our choice. Everyday God gives us back our freedom. When a person is involved in drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality, sickness, financial bondage; sometimes these problems become more than we can handle, which is where God helps us overcome and restores our freedom.
