My beloved is mine and I am his (Song of Songs 2:16).
I am his and he is mine therefore, I belong to God. The world would have us believe that belonging to God restricts our freedom. The world loves to promote freedom as doing our own thing and acting on whatever is in our hearts, regardless of others. But is that real freedom?
Freedom isn’t freedom if we can’t stop doing it. Adults are free to drink alcohol, but if they can’t stop drinking, they’re in bondage to alcohol. A drug addict is in bondage to his drugs, and a workaholic is in bondage to his job. Someone who is obsessive-compulsive is in bondage, whether it’s to washing their hands, cleaning their house, or checking that their house is locked. Anytime we can’t stop doing something, we’re in bondage to it, even if it’s a good thing. If we can’t stop helping someone, we may be codependent and in bondage to them
There seems to be no limit to the things we can be obsessed with. If you want to know if you’re in bondage to something, just ask yourself if you can stop. Maybe take a break for a couple of days and see if you can really stop.
God doesn’t intend for us to live in bondage but in freedom. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
When we’re motivated by his Spirit within us, we find genuine belonging and true freedom. We’re free to make any choice we like, but his Spirit gives us the discernment to know what is beneficial and what will lead us into bondage.
Other posts on this topic here.
