{"id":26939,"date":"2026-07-02T08:00:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T12:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/?p=26939"},"modified":"2026-06-26T09:52:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T13:52:27","slug":"the-freedom-we-were-made-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/doinglifetogether\/2026\/07\/the-freedom-we-were-made-for.html","title":{"rendered":"The Freedom We Were Made For"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>This Fourth of July is especially significant as we celebrate the\u00a0<\/span>250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence<\/span><\/strong>. It is a time to remember the courage, sacrifice, and vision of those who established our nation and secured the freedoms we enjoy today. As we reflect on our nation’s independence, it is also worth asking an important spiritual question:\u00a0<\/span>What does independence look like in the Christian life?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

My brother, the Reverend Dennis Marquardt, preached a thought-provoking sermon on the difference between\u00a0<\/span>independence<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/b><\/span>and\u00a0<\/b><\/span>interdependence<\/span><\/strong>. His message challenged me to think more deeply about what Scripture teaches.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, the word\u00a0<\/span>independence<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>often means, “No one can tell me what to do. I make my own rules. I answer only to myself.” That mindset celebrates self-sufficiency and personal autonomy. Yet, our founders understood that true liberty was never meant to encourage selfish independence. Rather, it flourishes when people accept responsibility, practice virtue, and work together for the common good.<\/span><\/p>\n

The same principle applies to our spiritual lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Bible never portrays the Christian life as one of isolated independence. From the beginning, humanity was created to depend on God and to live in relationship with others. Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve chose to act independently of God’s instruction. Throughout Scripture, we see that spiritual maturity grows not in isolation but in faithful dependence on God and loving relationships with His people.<\/span><\/p>\n

The New Testament describes believers as one body with many parts (1 Corinthians 12). Each member has unique gifts, yet no one thrives alone. We are “being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22). Christianity has always been a shared journey of worship, encouragement, accountability, and service.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a culture that prizes individualism, it’s easy to think we can follow Christ on our own. We may view church as optional or believe that our faith is purely private. Scripture paints a different picture. Healthy believers are connected to God and to one another.<\/span><\/p>\n

As you celebrate America’s independence this Fourth of July, take a moment to thank God not only for the freedoms we enjoy as citizens but also for the privilege of belonging to His family. True spiritual strength is not found in self-reliance but in dependence on Christ and interdependence with His people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps that is one of the greatest freedoms of all\u2014not the freedom to live for ourselves, but the freedom to live as God intended, together.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Fourth of July is especially significant as we celebrate the\u00a0250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence. It is a time to remember the courage, sacrifice, and vision of those who established our nation and secured the freedoms we enjoy today. As we reflect on our nation’s independence, it is also worth asking an important…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[925],"tags":[10034,3550,10037,74,3317,1451],"class_list":["post-26939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mintle-mentions","tag-250-years-of-independence","tag-4th-of-july","tag-declaration-of-independence","tag-freedom","tag-independence","tag-spiritual-freedom"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Freedom We Were Made For<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As we reflect on our nation's independence, ask a spiritual question:\u00a0What does independence look like in the Christian life?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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