Getting to that Place called "Free"

"The truth shall set you free!"

That's a bible verse that is very common one, that I remember even from as far back as my childhood.

That and "Jesus wept."

Easy enough, right?

But that first verse "The truth shall set you free!" was always followed by a "Have Mercy!"


I remember this from the show Sanford and Son. The very religious Aunt Esther with holler it!

"The truth shall set you free! Have Mercy!"

And she'd do a big twirl around, a couple of chuch shouts, and run on out of Fred Sanfords front door.

Terribly funny. Kept me in stitches as a kid. And we would mimic Aunt Esther on the playground. We would use a Social Studies book as our stand-in for a bible. Worked well. Great fun.

But that verse, which is essentially John 8:36 is one that is used all the time. i've heard it yelled from many a pulpit.


It must be important.

In that verse, Jesus is speaking to his disciples:

King James Version: "...the truth will make you free."

Amplified Version: "... the Truth will set you free."

Most biblical versions of John 8:36 have either "make" or "set" in the verse. To me, these are two different words. One seems more, I don't know, automatic than the other.

Setting free versus making free.

(I have to ask Grandma about that. She has a degree in bible psychology and will know the greek and hebrew translation and origin, concerning which is correct. She'll tell me right after she chastises me for not learning greek and hebrew so I can properly understand my Bible. Sigh).

The truth will make or set you free.

I'm not sure that's right.

There are waaay too many areas in life where I know the truth about something. And just knowing the truth hasn't set or made me free. I'm still in some type of bondage to that issue.

Even though I know the truth.

Soooo...

With this said... this verse of scripture came up in church, as part of a 12 week series on consistency.

12 weeks. That's a long time. A good thing, since I STRUGGLE with consistency.

Not sure I like long series. And I'm sure it's not suppose to even be that long. My pastor does a lot of "I was studying, and found more on this subject, so let's talk about it" or, God forbid...

"Ya'll was looking at me crazy last week, so we gonna go deeper into this thing."

LOL

The more scripture there are on the subject, the longer the series.


Makes me wanna snap my fingers and tell the pastor to wrap it up. and let's keep it moving,lol


But, in one of those sermons, this verse was mentioned... and that it wasn't necessarily true,

That is, when taken alone as is. It needs to be looked at in context of what is going on.

Just looking at what precedes those few words of John 8:36, something totally different comes up... I saw something interesting. Notice the words in red.

AMP John 8:31-32So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples.
And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

NLT John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

NEV John 8:31-32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The problem is, I know the truth about many things, but that doesn't mean that I'm free. Not automatically.

I hold up my Bible, wave it at the sky, shout "Hallelu-yer!", holler "Lord, this is my manual for life!!"

But when problems come up, do I rely on this "life manual" or do I rely on what I saw on the Talk shows, on the soap operas, the reality shows, the urban music... etc...

My truths come from what I've been faithful to, holding on to, and abiding in... My freedom and breakthroughs come from those truths I've been working. I think Jesus was telling them that day, hey come on now... Make my ways and teachings, these teaching, your priority, then you'll be made or set free.

Here's an easy speasy example: I smoke a pack of cigarettes a day. But the truth is printed right on the side of that cigarette package:

"Smoking is hazardous to your health."

Is that truth going to make me put down the cigarettes and never smoke again.

I've even seen pregnant women taking a smoke break. I want to shake them.

Don't they know the truth?

Yes, I'm sure they do. But that truth, that the smoking can hurt the unborn child, hasn't set them free from smoking.

I don't smoke. That's just an example. But you get my drift.

Knowing the truth does not automatically set or make me free.

(So, I'm wondering now what Aunt Esther and her *church shouts* were about. I guess that piece of scripture made her happy.)

No, it doesn't automatically make me free...

Consistently operating in and applying the truth you know will make or set you free.

Freedom doesn't come without that.

Jesus was telling the people that day, I qualify you as my disciples when I see you consistently abiding in, holding on to, and being faithful to my teachings. When you do that, then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

I know, I like my church because we are working on grabbing those truths for our situations, being faithful in them... in other words, working on The Word being the final authority in our lives, and what we go to when we need direction.

This is terribly hard with the amount of distraction and deception I'm subjected to everyday. Sigh.

But this principle seen in John 8 applies to everyday life.

You know, I absolutely love some of my twitter friend's tenacity in some of the things and goals they are involved in. Like with things like learning to run, lose weight, even their tenacity in learning to take care of their hair. So many other countless things too...

All of that ministers to my heart. More than they will ever know.

I've learned that if I'm consistent, and don't give up, then I will be free. Free from whatever binds me.

If I'm faithful, holding fast, and abiding in all that surrounds reaching certain goals, then I will be free... And I equate the word "free" with having breakthroughs in the situation.

Why am I writing about this?

One, because it was important. I needed Aunt Esther to be reciting that WHOLE verse before doing her *church shouts* and running out of Fred Sanfords front door.

LOL

Two, and I hate to admit this, but I'm a blank slate when it comes to goals. I hate making them, even though I make little ones here and there. I must say, I am so blessed to have a personal goals technologist, Ms. Not So Anonymous. She has taught me SO much about goal setting, and tracking my progress... and about not hating and beating up myself if I don't reach the goal.

But this verse of scripture gives me a platform to jump off of when making my goals.

In what areas of my life have I not been consistent?

There are many. And my goals for 2011 are going to spring from those areas. I'm going to keep those goals in mind. But, most importantly, I'm going to work on the prerequisites of reaching the goals.

This is working well where it comes to my goal of vegetarianism. I remember when I first started out a good year and a half ago, other vegetarians were telling me "Girl, it's gonna be a minute. You gonna have to learn how to cook, you gotta read, talk to people."

What they were tellling me is that it ain't automatic. I'm gonna have to consistently work towards it. And they are RIGHT.

Things have to get to a point where they become a stronghold... knocking undesired behaviors out the socket.

(Yeah Mon, I've put up some stronghold notes. See Strongholds, Part I and Strongholds Part II)

Working on abiding, holding onto, being faithful and sincere in all those teachings and trainings in those areas.

It's only then that breakthrough occurs.

Does that make sense?

THIS is where I've been missing it. It takes time, training, hits and misses, falling down and getting back up again, getting some people around you who can be a support system, getting advice and direction from people who have reached the goal, just being diligent and faithful in really working every resource that God places in your path, really....

Makes sense to me...


And now I can be like Aunt Esther...

Grabbing my bible and doing a happy spin....

Give a few church shouts...

And run on out the front door.