Reflection: Freedom leading to pasture
In a world where success is often measured by material wealth, popularity and reputation, it’s easy to assume that the objective of our freedom should be material and earthly convenience.
However, when Jesus promises ‘life’ and ‘life to the full,’ he’s talking about more than mere material flourishing. In the original Greek, Jesus’ sentence is translated by way of two different words for ‘life’: ‘bios’ and ‘zoe.’ One of these refers to earthly biological and material life and the other refers to spiritual and supernatural life. For Jesus, relationship with him gives us the freedom to ‘come in and go out,’ as we please, but this happens within a specific and beautiful model of human flourishing and well-being, that fits with who we are and what we need.
Are you willing to trust God today – using your freedom and choices to seek after success on his terms, not yours?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for your promise of salvation and freedom in Jesus. Help me to rest in the assurance that when I use my freedom in relationship with you, I know I will always have pasture, in the most important ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.