the shackles of freedom

How many times have you heard (or said): “I don’t want to obsess over my diet and work out all the time, I just want to be free to live my life”? 

On the surface, this seems like a fair statement, but let’s dive a little deeper. 

Let’s discuss what freedom is not. As Americans, we think we know what freedom means, and for whatever reason, the word “freedom” has become a synonym for “I am entitled to do what I want, despite the consequences”. Our forefathers may have earned us the right to choose our own path, but that doesn’t mean we are free from consequence. Any decision made today will affect the person we will become tomorrow. How many children are we seeing being led down the path of packaged, processed foods and sedentary lifestyles? How many parents are unable to sit on the floor to play with their kids, run around the park or play a pickup game of basketball? How many elderly people are confined to walkers or wheelchairs and live with poor bone health and joint mobility? Not to mention all the hospital bills from lifestyle-based disease, medications, the need to buy certain vehicles and all the other accommodations that have to be met, just to make up for lack of ability. Is this freedom? 

We indulge in food and drinks that make us feel good, feed us and offer convenience in a fast-paced world. When we enjoy our favorite treats, we enjoy benefits across many aspects of our social, emotional and mental well-being. Food is great! It can set the scenery with friends and family and it can help us get through a day where “survival” seems to be the only mode we have left. So this is what we do. We make convenient and palatable choices and choose to sit and scroll on our phones or binge TV shows, justifying it as self-care, as we write the word “freedom” on our shackles. Look, I am just as guilty as the next guy, when I am buried in life and just need to make a quick supper, many times I choose quick over quality. I am not preaching against making convenient choices sometimes. Nor am I trying to make anyone feel guilty or ashamed of themselves for trying to trudge through life. I get it! I’m just painting a picture here, so bear with me. I am simply trying to shift the “freedom mindset” from being a privilege to being a responsibility. 

Freedom comes from power–but not the kind of power you think. The power I’m speaking of comes from the ability to surrender when needed and take responsibility when needed. It comes from within. It’s a conscious choice that means surrendering to God and His will, and means giving up control and designating certain things beyond our scope of capability. It may even come from deciding to let go of the things holding us back and grabbing on to the things that truly matter. We have the freedom and the power to keep ourselves from developing preventable, lifestyle-based illness, and we are free to keep our bodies mobile and strong. Add extra protein throughout the day, throw in an extra serving of fruits and veggies, go for a walk after a meal or hire a trainer. There are so many choices we can make for our future self and the freedom we seek for the years to come. Have you ever met a twenty year-old that dreams of living her golden years in pain? Or one who says he can’t wait until one day he’s retired so he can take a handful of prescription medication while sitting in a retirement home? Of course not! 

Think of your favorite things in life. The things or the moments you hold dear. It may be your family, or your college experience, or even small things like your garden or front porch retreat. The beauty in these things is not always inherent. Beauty and fulfillment comes from intention and work and the ability to transform something difficult or inconvenient into something rewarding. The time and energy put in, now gives the freedom to reap what was sown in the past, such as love from children/grandchildren, a rewarding career, home-grown vegetables or a peaceful place to write a book.

True freedom starts with small tweaks, not trying to control or be perfect in every little thing. What may feel like a fine-tuning of the scope can lead to a huge change in trajectory farther down the line. Then, before we know it, in a beautiful display of intentional decision-making, stumbling and laying our burdens onto God, we will find ourselves truly living freely. Free from preventable doctor bills, free to sit in a low car and move without fear of injury and even free to have that wine night with our friends. When we understand how to nourish and care for our bodies, we will find where true freedom lives.

Try this: Reframe the idea of freedom from that of instant gratification to true empowerment. In doing this, you adopt a new-found love for yourself and a deep respect for the body and the provisions God entrusted to you.