I want to be free
This past week in the Netherlands, we celebrated 80 years of liberation. It was a special moment to reflect on, because eighty years ago, the war came to an end here in the Netherlands. That happened thanks to soldiers from countries like Canada and many others, who came here after many months of fighting to liberate us from German occupation.
The day before, on May 4th, we commemorated the victims. The soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom, but also the millions of civilians who perished due to the war, including the six million Jews during the Holocaust. It was a terrible time that we must never forget.
Much discontent
Then comes May 5th, a day for celebration! Flags are waving everywhere, and there are festivals and events. An important moment was again in Wageningen, at Hotel de Wereld, where the surrender was signed back then. There was a parade there, a procession with important people, the old veterans. Our own Prime Minister and Polish Prime Minister Tusk witnessed this march of former combatants. Tusk said something important:
“We must not close our eyes to the evil in the world.”
And that’s true. While we celebrate here, there is still war and unrest in many parts of the world. Think of Ukraine or the Middle East, where people fight daily to survive. But the unrest isn’t only far away, between countries. Sometimes it’s closer to home, in the lives of ordinary people. Even during our holidays, we saw how protests and anger disrupted the positive atmosphere. That shows that many people harbor discontent deep down.
But freedom… that’s more than just not having war. It’s also feeling free inside. Free from constant pressure, stress, obligations, or anger. Sometimes it feels as if you’re carrying a heavy ‘yoke,’ a kind of burden that weighs you down. That image is also used in the Bible, in Isaiah 9:4 (English numbering)
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
A yoke, an enormous burden on your shoulder. It’s about burdens like guilt, loneliness, grief, financial worries. Things that are hard to break free from, no matter how hard you try or pray.
Sometimes you start pointing fingers at others. The circumstances are wrong, that person did it. And I’m not saying your situation is easy, or that others don’t play a role, but I do believe that the first step towards freedom, towards a breakthrough, begins with you. Even if your circumstances don’t change, you can look at things differently, create a different atmosphere for yourself. That’s not always easy in your own strength, but faith in God and His help in this can be enormously helpful, through prayer and sometimes a form of deliverance. You don’t have to remain trapped in your own problems.
That hits the nail on the head.
Often, we blame others, but change only truly begins when I decide to change, when I make the choice to no longer be the victim. I once read a striking quote by Cees Bots: ‘If you truly want peace, try to change yourself, not the other person. It’s easier to wear slippers than to cover the whole earth with carpet.’ That hits the nail on the head.
Think also of the well-known ‘Our Father’ prayer, where it says: ‘Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.’ That last part is crucial. If you forgive the people who have hurt you – your parents, a brother, a teacher, a friend, whoever – then you free yourself. You release that burden of anger and resentment. You do this in faith and commitment. These are steps of faith.
Forgiveness is a huge step on the path to personal freedom. I challenge you to go to God in trust, who is a Father and a Deliverer, through Jesus Christ. If you seek that connection, you will experience that He helps you to break free. Because ultimately, the key to a free life is not outside you, but on the inside of your own door.
@wimvanputten