Life lived with God is a journey to freedom. It is a journey from selfishness to selflessness, from sin to righteousness, from facades to authenticity, from living by the expectations of others to that of pleasing an audience of One, from our sinful nature to a life in the Spirit. Every step toward freedom is a step in the right direction. Jesus said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Freedom in Christ is a wonderful place to live.

As citizens of a world that has been interrupted by Satan, we are held captive by many things: pride, independence, materialism, success, self-sufficiency, the expectations of others, sinful habits, distractions from those things that are most important, worry, fear and selfish hearts.

Every time one of those captive makers is stripped from our lives, we become more free, more like the person God created us to be, and our hearts more like His. In a divine reversal, what we consider to be the ultimate disaster can, in fact, be a freedom maker.

Once I have experienced a great failure, I no longer need to worry about failing. Once I have lost my self-sufficiency, I no longer need to try to be self-sufficient and am free to rely on God. Being stripped of our pride gives us freedom to receive from others when we need it. No longer do we have the need to be self-sufficient in all things.

When I have not lived up to the expectations of others, I realize that not only can I not pull that off, but I don’t need to. Another step toward freedom! Have you ever thought about how much time and energy we expend in trying to live up to the expectations of others? Authenticity means that we no longer need to work to prove something, but we can simply be what God made us to be. Our highest goal is not to please people but to please an audience of One - our Father. Again, that is freedom.

With humility comes a “nothing to prove, nothing to lose, nothing to hide” view of life, which leads to authentic and worry free living. Authentic living is about being who God created us to be and not someone else’s version for us, whether they be our parents, our in-laws or others. The question is no longer “what I have to do to please other people,” but what I need to do to please God.

Our main question should be, “What do I need to do to please the Father and stop worrying about what others think of me?” Not only will we not please everyone else, but that is not the call on my life or yours. Pleasing the Father is our calling. His priorities for our life, time, energies and heart are what count. He is the One we will give account to one day. No one else’s opinions will matter on that day, so we should stop worrying about the opinions of others. 

When we can shed the expectations of others, stop worrying about what they think of us and simply follow the path God has given us, we start to experience great freedom. As Paul wrote to the Colossians in 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Father, would You help me to live in freedom rather than in worry and anxiety? Teach me that Your opinion is the one that ultimately counts and that I need not live by the expectations of others or worry about what they think. May my life please You in every way instead. Amen.