Be free. What does that mean to you?
A few years ago I remember seeing that phrase tossed about a lot on the artsy bloggingsphere along with "I want to live", but what always irritated me was that it was almost always just left at that. No explanation or elaboration of any sort. Just a few pretty phrases tossed in and blended because everyone was saying it and it sounded like a good thing.
I'll tell you what this means to me.
Be free means so much, but I can only tell you so little. Be free of the poisons of your yesterdays, but don't forget. Be free of the burden of worry - always. Be free of the weight of uncertainty and disillusion, but never lose wonder. Be free of the curse of sin, but don't become a slave to rules and regulations. Be free of being a people pleaser and be a people lover.
This takes me into "truly living", because when you are free, you are free to truly live in a way that you were always meant to live. The closest I have ever been able to get to that is when I'm living my life according to the example Jesus set.
Love God, love people. Agape. There's no better freedom and living than that.
What does "being free" mean to you?
i think being free is when you do anything whole-heartedly on your own will. when you do, i think even the worst thing doesn't seem so bad, and the in the worst scenario of circumstances, you are a free person.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you posted this. God has been teaching me about freedom for the past month or so. And whenever He's trying to say something, He repeats it. freedom has been something Ive been learning about a lot. When we come to accept Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, we are free. the things that once held us captive are gone and no longer dominate our lives. but so often we put those chains back on ourselves and allow ourselves to be held back by them. but Christ has set us free. Galatians talks about this a lot.
ReplyDeleteFreedom is knowing you were once bound, but are no longer.
Being free means a great deal to me... I haven't felt free for a very long time. This feeling I have now brings sadness I am working at becoming free again,it gives me joy when I am there,.. I wish it was easier to get there but I guess if it was we would all be there, this way hopefully I will really appreciate the feeling when I get there and never lose sight of it again, no matter the trials I have to deal with in the future. . .
ReplyDeletePixie, I really like your definition and explanation of what being free means to you. For me, being free means being true to yourself, no matter if that flies in the face of societal expectations or norms. Being free means learning to love yourself and learning to love your life. Being free means developing a sense of internal clarity that sometimes takes years of introspection to reach , but once reached, is one of the most beautiful destinations one could ever hope to arrive at. Being free means being secure and comfortable in your own skin and realizing that if you love life, it will love you back. For me, being free means all of these and much much more. Thank you pixie! What an awesome post! I hope you have an awesome weekend my friend :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful; I love this description of being free. You just perfectly put into words another chunk of what "living freely" is.
DeleteTo me...being free means to be at peace, to not be bound. I used to think that a lot of things would make me free, like to leave and never return, to ignore. But I realized that truly becoming free is difficult to obtain. One day I want to be completely free, to never experience the lonliness, anxiety and sadness I sometimes feel now. Not to forget all of it, but to be free of it. And I think loving as Jesus taught us is a way to be truly free. ♥
ReplyDeleteMJ
www.littlepandacrafts.blogspot.com
Hi Pixie,
ReplyDeleteI must say, this is very much a profound post. The photograph is indeed creative! The definition of the word "free" brings the notion of death to my mind. Once we realize that we all are a part of the same destination, it is liberating! Then we can free ourselves from the burden of feeling the need to hold on to anything. Just let it go… We are a part of everything! A feeling originates from nothingness but makes you free from all the burden of certainty, uncertainty and illusion,. Isn't it?
Thanks! And interesting thoughts. We all are definitely a part of the same destination for sure (death) but then depending on your theology, what comes after is then an ever broader and more final destination. Can't say that the feeling [of being free] truly originates from nothingness, but then after thinking about it I realized that that will depend on the nature and thought process of the individual. So you just opened up a whole new thing for me to think about. Thank you!
DeleteI really like that you did this, because it bothers me too that all of these people say vague things but never explain what they mean. It made everyone on the internet look the same, and I think when you SAY what you mean, that's what makes you different.
ReplyDeleteFor me, freedom means feeling weightless. Jesus said his "yoke is easy" and his "burden is light." If we find it to be heavy, we're not free. It fascinates me that so many people live in chains when they have the chance to have them broken - indeed, I was living in chains for a very long time, even as a Christian. human nature makes it hard to be free, but when we realize that we not only can't do anything, but that we DON'T HAVE to do anything, I think that is extremely liberating. We can just let life take it's course and sing "Hakuna Matata" without being cheesy or hippie-esque because with Jesus, we have no worries and can truly be free.
:)
"Be free of being a people pleaser and be a people lover" - that sentence resonates with me. I'm guilty of trying to please people thinking that will make them feel loved. And feeling guilty is being far away from free. I know that I should love people around me but stay true to myself because that is going to make me happy instead of everybody else but me. I have a hard time with that cause it sounds selfish to me when I know it's not. This is something that I'm constantly working on. So being free to me means to love myself first of all and base my decisions and actions on that. Be in perfect balance with myself so I can live life and be happy with how I did it 50 years from now. Wonderful post! I loved reading your thoughts on this.
ReplyDeleteHi! I nominated you for the sunflower award here :) ----> http://catscraftsncritters.blogspot.ca/2014/05/sunflower-award.html
ReplyDeleteHey Pixie,
ReplyDeleteI know I've read your blog before, but I must have lost track of it in the process of switching blogs. Anyhow, I've found you again! I think your Hijab Study is fascinating and gutsy, and I really like your other posts too. :)
I'm also annoyed by the vagueness of phrases like "be free" or "be yourself." It's unhelpful when nobody explains what the phrase actually means to them. Honestly, I think that being free can mean different things in different contexts to different people . . . so maybe it's better for us to tell stories about what makes us free or what we'd like to be free from, rather than tossing around phrases.
I feel free when I am able to say what I mean and communicate who I am. I feel free when I'm happy with the things I create and the person I am growing into.
Hey Lydia! I'm glad you found your way back! Thank you for your kind comments, so glad you're enjoying the blog. I like what you said about illustrating by stores or elaboration verses just tossing phrases around. Doing that would certainly be way more helpful especially when it comes to vague and subjective ones.
DeleteBeing free could mean everything - depending in which situation you are!:)
ReplyDeleteWould you like to follow eachother via GFC? Please let me know if you are interested in!:)
xoxo
www.mielleloves.de
www.mielleloves.de
Great blog, I'm a new follower on GFC and Bloglovin :)
ReplyDeletewould you like to follow each other?
Yes! I whole heartedly agree, times a 1,000! Our freedom is found in Christ, therefore to truly live, is to walk in that freedom that is found only in our redemption in the price He paid. So I choose to live out that freedom and share with those whom surround me and I strive to live as Christ lived daily! To love God and to love his people more than myself and to deny that selfishness that threatens to consume me and chose to walk in love and freedom!
ReplyDelete~Kate
I love your blog! You can follow me on wordpress if you would like!
flyxawaywithyou.wordpress.com