True freedom can only be gained through complete devotion to Christ. It is therefore not a question of the freedom which man possesses as a gift from God, because he is man, but we speak of that freedom which we can only possess in the way of Christian perfection. Therefore, the theme we have considered in recent days is related to the theme of true freedom, what means the inner transformation in Christ. This transformation causes that the image of God should unfold more and more within us.
Let us repeat: when specific forms of non-freedom affect our lives, the expression of our Christian witness is diminished and the love of God cannot penetrate us properly. The spiritual beauty of our faith is then not recognizable enough, and our testimony as redeemed people seems unconvincing.
So there are several reasons why we should work with God’s help to overcome our liberties:
– For one thing, it is a joy for God if we receive His love unhindered and do not oppose him.
– Then it is gratifying for ourselves if we become freer and the love of the Lord can fill us more deeply.
– After all, it makes it easier for people to read our testimony of what it means to live as beloved children of God.
In order to go the road of overcoming the lack of freedom, it is good to realize that we are not reflecting about concrete sins, but various kinds of blockades and barriers which we are trying to overcome with the help of God. Some of these blockades we will not notice and we may never have thought about it.
After the fear of human of man, the fears in general, we are now looking at a lack of freedom that is also common:
The excessive sensitivity
Oversized sensitive people feel offended and reset at every opportunity, not sufficiently respected and treated without love! They are constantly weathering a reset! They carry a great burden with them and constantly circle around themselves. It is not possible for them to stand above the situation, so to speak, and to assess it objectively in order to give the correct answer to the situation.
We certainly know the difficulties that arise in the encounter with over-sensitive people! You have to think about every word you say, you have to give them special praise more often…
This lack of freedom creates an artificial space around the person concerned. Feelings of guilt towards him can easily arise. We must retain a certain personal freedom in the encounter with such over-sensitive people, so that one does not become infected by this lack of freedom. For it may happen that, for the sake of the supposed reaction of the other man, we fail to say and do in his presence things that are objectively correct, for example, to be unable to tell him if he has done something wrong, because one fears a negative reaction.
When we discover a similar kind of over-sensitivity in our hearts, we must carry it to the Lord with all the accompanying inner feelings and ask the Holy Spirit to touch it and strengthen us. It is a kind of self-cramp in which we are trapped, we are circling around ourselves and our feelings.
This can only be overcome if we walk away from ourselves in prayer and turn to God. God can touch and release this cramp. At the same time, we ask for inner healing, because it is not uncommon for the oversized sensitivity, which cannot be confused with a positive sensitivity, to come from still internal unhealed wounds, which intensify our self-protection in particular.
So, if we perceive an outsized sensitivity in our own heart, we should not simply look away and say that this is the case with us and that we have to accept it, but we are called to really overcome such internal barriers. If we work in this field, then this situation will improve. It will be easier for us to endure tension and ununity without immediately falling into despair or excessive inner distress.
We will learn not to refer everything to ourselves and are able to assess situations more objectively. In short, we are finding ways to greater freedom that will have a positive impact on our whole being.