[418 words]
There is this new movie, Frozen, which is a big hit with my kids, and a lot of others as well. One of the main story lines is about this princess born with great power, but she lives in fear of discovery. Her parents keep her hidden away in solitude. There comes a day when her power is revealed and she runs away to break free. When she is alone on a mountain top she sings a song of freedom from fear and freedom from having to be perfect. Ultimately it is a song of embracing the power within you.
As I was listening to my daughter sing this song the other day something occurred to me. When we are in the world, we are surrounded by fear and solitude. There is no real help outside of what we can do on our own. And at the end, we are alone in our journey.
After we receive Christ, we have a great power. We have great freedom; from trying to be perfect because of grace and freedom from fear because of our salvation. We can confidently say Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery!”
But our empowered ice queen then makes a crucial error. She thinks that she can live apart from people in her mountaintop castle. She thinks that she is in no need of anyone else. It is only in the end that she recognizes her error, but is also presented with the solution. Simply put, it is love. True love is the balance that saves her. She has freedom but without love, she is still lost and alone.
Paul describes this in 1 Corinthians. In Chapter 9:19-23 he says, “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more…I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. ” He continues on to chapter 13 where lie speaks of the greatest gift: love.
When we have been set free by God’s love in Christ, our response is to live in freedom, but with a view of love towards those around us. We are called to a life of loving service to one another.
Bill Williams
Jackson Church of Christ
Jackson, MO