A Freedom Worth Giving Away
By M.T. Clark — P-2030 | 07/31/2026 – Today’s Audio Podcast
Today’s Message on YouTube:
Today’s photo of a golden field of grain running back to a dark tree line, a pair of power-line towers standing out on the horizon, and big soft clouds drifting across a pale evening sky, just touched with sunset, comes to us from yours truly, as I captured this peaceful scene on Waite Road in Easton, NY, on July 30th, 2022.
Well, it’s Friday, thank God, and here’s a good word to carry into the weekend: the God who gives us rest at the end of a long week also gives us a freedom that’s meant to be shared. So as you catch your breath over the next couple of days, keep an eye out for someone to give it away to. Speaking of sharing our freedom with others…
Our series, “Freedom Stories,” continues today with the freedom that is meant to be given away.
A Freedom Worth Giving Away
It’s possible to misunderstand freedom entirely, to treat it as a license to do whatever we want for ourselves, but the Apostle Paul makes it clear that our freedom was not to be used for sin. Galatians 5:13 (NKJV) tells us: “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
Paul boldly declares the purpose of our liberty without hesitation. He tells us that we have been called to freedom, and then he makes it clear what our freedom is for. It isn’t an opportunity for the flesh. It’s not a permission slip for self-indulgence. Our freedom isn’t supposed to be directed toward ourselves to meet our own selfish desires. Our freedom’s direction should point outward, toward others. Our freedom is given to us so that we may serve one another, through love.
This turns the whole worldly idea of freedom on its head. The world defines freedom as being unobligated, to owe nothing to anyone and to live for ourselves, and by that logic serving others would be a return to bondage. That logic says that other people are either a means to our pleasurable pursuits or a burden to be avoided and left behind.
But the gospel says the opposite. God’s word tells us that we’ve been set free so that we can freely give ourselves away in love, and that this self-giving service isn’t the loss of our freedom but is its truest expression.
A person still in bondage to themselves can’t really love or serve, because they’re too busy securing their own comfort. They’re too concerned with “loving themselves” in all the wrong ways.
A loving parent doesn’t give a child absolutely everything they want because it’s not good for them. But we somehow forget that when it comes to ourselves. When we are consumed by the flesh or our own pride, we think we are free to do whatever we want and that giving into our desires will make us happy, but it never does.
The truly free person is finally able to stop clutching for fleshly or vain pursuits. When we are wise, we will know the joy of giving and will start pouring ourselves out in service to others. There’s a deep and surprising joy in pouring ourselves out in love for others that fleshly self-indulgence could never deliver.
I’ve found this to be one of the great secrets of the Spirit led – Free in Christ – life. When my freedom curves back in on itself and exists only for my own ease or comfort, it strangely shrinks and fails to satisfy, but when my freedom flows outward in service — in sitting with the hurting, in giving away what God has given me — it grows.
The grace I received was never meant to end with me. It was meant to flow through me to others, the same way the comfort of God is given so that we may comfort others. Likewise, our testimony is to be given so that others may hear it and be inspired to follow the Lord and find their healing and freedom.
If our freedom is kept to ourselves, it grows stale, slowly evaporates, and is in constant jeopardy of being lost, as the enemy will lead us into temptation, pride, or the bitterness of isolation. Freedom that is given away multiplies, and the giver ends up freer than before. When we give our freedom to others, we receive the joy of an expanded community and the fulfilling of our purpose in Christ.
Consider today what your freedom is for. You’ve been called to liberty, truly and fully, and that liberty isn’t a license to live for yourself but an invitation to serve others in love.
So, find somebody to give it away to this week. Find someone to sit with, to encourage, to forgive, or to help — and you’ll discover that a freedom worth having is always a freedom worth giving away.
Keep on walking and talking with God.
— M.T.
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“The views, opinions, and commentary of this publication are those of the author, M.T. Clark, only, and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any of the photographers, artists, ministries, or other authors of the other works that may be included in this publication, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author may represent.”
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