I want to be free to be myself and express my true identity without others dictating what I should do. I want to be free to be loved, free to love and serve others without restriction or criticalness, free from continuous control, manipulation and striving, free from competition and constant looking over my shoulder, free to rest and enjoy life, and free to be childlike (not childish) and to be who I am called or created to be, without apology and condemnation. Being free and secure is about living in a state of liberty rather than slavery. The following two-part article will explain how I gained my freedom, identity, and purpose.

Living in Brokenness Rather Than in Freedom

There are so many people living in brokenness that they are pretty good at faking it. I do not want to fake it anymore, but I want to create and own my own personal story. You might want to do that, too. So, let me ask you these questions.

Are you:

1. Trying hard to strive, achieve, compete, and always wanting to earn everything in life?
2. Currently living a life of anxiety, fear, and frustration?
3. Feeling self-oriented, lonely, and inwardly isolated?
4. Living without any affirmation, peace, comfort, belonging, or affection?

 If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you are most likely living a life of slavery.

Being true to ourselves can feel daunting. It may cause other people to think less of us, and it gives them the opportunity to take advantage of us.

Why We Hurt Ourselves

We sometimes forget that having an exaggerated view of ourselves leaves us vulnerable, stressful, and ultimately insecure. We end up hurting ourselves with bitterness and resentment.

But when we exercise humility and freedom to create and own our personal story, we gain many allies in addition to personal freedom and security. These are the people you really want to be with – true and faithful friends who sincerely love you for who you are.

For me, I have consciously decided not to live in any state of bondage.