The Freedom Paradox

Have y’all heard the new Meredith Andrews’ song, Spirit of the Living God? It’s my new jam right now. I recently heard a little interview blurb on K-LOVE where she talks about the verse that inspired the song: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).

She said that the meaning of the expression is actually “Where the Spirit of the Lord is Lord, there is freedom.”

I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.  

                    

The word for Lord there is kúrios, which means master. Think of this in contrast to the word doúlos, which is the word Paul uses at the beginning of so many of his letters. It’s usually translated as Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ (see, e.g., Philippians 1:1), but the more literal translation is like a slave or bondservant.

Consider James 1:1: James calls himself a doúlos of kúrios—a slave of his master.

Freedom comes when we submit to the Lord as Master. At first, that seems contradictory, paradoxical even. 

And to consider ourselves as slaves feels very un-American, right? And yet, what 2 Corinthians 3:17 suggests is that if the Spirit of the Lord is Lord, there is freedom.

I know in my life, when I try to do something on my own or out of my own strength, not only am I miserable (and usually unsuccessful) but also I become entangled in bondage. Fear or pride takes over, and I begin working from a position for acceptance rather than from a position of acceptance.

It never goes well.

Submitting my heart to my Master does not come naturally. I must be intentional.

But when I submit my heart to the Lord, when I place my plans, my vision, my opinions at His feet, I’m actually released in a supernatural way to walk in the fullness of Christ, filled with grace and power.

I’m a little slow sometimes, so I’m still learning what this means, but I know I want to walk in freedom, and therefore, I must let the Lord be Lord at all times.

How about you, friends? Let’s walk in freedom by submitting ourselves to the Lord as Master!

He is Lord over everything

Last week I asked God to show me Himself. I want to know Him, not as words on a page, but by experiencing who He is. I made a list of 10 attributes I feel He gave me - certainly not a complete list, but a starting point. The next attribute on my life is:

#2 - He is Lord over everything

On Wednesday, shortly after publishing my last post, I looked ahead at the next attribute. I was spending time in the Word, and I pondered looking up verses about His sovereignty, about His status as ruler or authority, about His omnipresence or His omnipotence. But instead, I just closed my eyes, and I said, "God, I want to experience you. I want to experience that you are Lord over everything."

Well, those are dangerous words to pray! In the quietness of a quiet time, words are sometimes empty, sometimes too easy to whisper. Then our day begins! Well, this particular day was going to be a juggling act of spinning plates. I had to teach from 2:00 to 3:20, and I was booked on a flight at 4:20 to Houston to see my best friend. Hal had clients at work in town for meetings and presentations, but we had worked it out so that he could take me to school, pick me up, and take me to the airport. I had a very small window between school and take-off time!

But, about fifteen minutes after I prayed that little prayer, "I want to experience you...", Hal calls and his meeting and presentation is now at 3:00 instead of 1:00, and he cannot take me to the airport. My first reaction isn't always so pleasant. Thank God He gives us second chances! I just stopped and prayed. Okay, God. Work this out. You are Lord.

And He did. The whole day was a lot like that. It was a day of changed plans, unexpected interruptions, discomfort, and even pain (I also picked up strep throat on Wednesday--as I was en route to Houston!). But at the end of the day, I was overwhelmed with His sovereignty. After the first little hiccup with Hal's change of plans, I got better at seeing His Lordship--and better at responding in awe. Each opportunity, I didn't panic. I just smiled. God, this is one more chance for me to see that you are Lord.

It wasn't a day of some major event or happening in my life. No grand miracles. No lepers healed, or lame men walking. But, it was a miracle. The whole day. And each time I got to see Him working something new out. Each time I got to see Him take control and take care of me.

My faith was strengthened. My heart was warmed. He truly loves us enough to take care of us. He loves us so much that He does work it out. And we can see it so much better when we choose to respond, to make the right choice--the choice that doesn't get upset or bent out of shape, the choice that says, You are sovereign, and I trust you. You are Lord over everything!