There is no freedom without sacrifice. The freedom we enjoy today is because someone sacrificed for it yesterday. 

Whenever I see a WWII veteran or a Korean War veteran, I want to stand up and salute. As a South Korean descent, I am here because of sacrifices that many American soldiers have made 65, 70 years ago. It is a sobering thought though when we consider what that would mean for the future generation.

Would you give up your freedom so that others would enjoy it?

Not if freedom is our ultimate value. But there is a value that is greater than freedom: Love. Love makes us give up our freedom for the sake of another. Ironically though, when it is motivated by love, we won’t feel at all like we are giving up freedom. Spending the Memorial Day weekend with my family does not seem like I’m giving up my personal freedom. But if I did not love my family, I WOULD feel like I’m giving up my freedom. (Arranged marriage wouldn’t be bad at all if we loved the one we were arranged to marry!)

The cross was the sacrifice our Commander-in-Chief made to gain our freedom. “For freedom Christ has set us free.” Gal. 5:1

Does serving Christ feel like freedom to you? Does loving those who belong to Christ in the church community feel like freedom to you? Does having moral boundaries feel like freedom to you? No? It’s because you lack love for Christ…

Christ loved us and willingly gave up His freedom for us. But rather than losing His freedom, He gained it.

If we love Christ, we will willingly give up our freedom for Him and for His children, but we will find that we haven’t actually lost our freedom, but we’ve gained it. (“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Luke 9:24)

Have you discovered this principle: In order to gain it, you must lose it? Pray that God will grant you love for Christ. Once you have Christ, losing will seem like gaining….

PH