Live as free men… live as servants of God. (1 Peter 2:16)

Giving freedom in marriage means we allow our spouse to be different from us, to be unique. Freedom means not dwelling on past hurts. It means not being fearful about the future, but being committed to living in the present. Freedom means learning to relax and enjoy life with one another. It means not fearing rejection or a withdrawal of love. Freedom means living in liberty in all that we share – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Living as a free person in our marriage and as a servant of God means freely submitting myself to God and to my spouse yet living life to the fullest. It means seizing the opportunities to enjoy my spouse and my family.

True freedom means that I can live and love liberally and yet I am constrained by the love of Christ. What an awesome thought: Christianity isn’t about what I can’t do, but about all God has provided. God has given us a tremendous gift in our spouse. It’s up to us to focus on enjoying God’s gift.

A free man is under no obligation and is not motivated by fear. Such is the Christian’s heritage. God’s grace frees us from the bondage of performance, and security in Christ frees me from the fear of His judgement or rejection. Because of the gift of such love, we now have something to share with others, beginning with our spouse. We can share grace and acceptance, not fear and rejection.

ACTION ASSIGNMENT
How will knowing you are a free man or woman in Christ motivate you to love your spouse and freely give him or her?

PRAYER: Lord, help me to seize those opportunities to enjoy my spouse and my family. I want to live as a free person, not bound to work or ministry. I want to be free from anger, guilt, and fear. I want to be free to love my spouse and give myself freely to her/him. In Jesus’ name, amen.