On Freedom And Fear

“The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear.” - Aung San Suu Kyi

True freedom demands the following attitude, eloquently expressed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

"Cowardice asks the question – is it safe? Expediency asks the question – is it politic? Vanity asks the question – is it popular? But conscience asks the question – is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right."

A government, a family, a church, a person who can’t live this way ultimately is one to be feared. And fear is a prison. The greater our power, the more likely we are to succumb to the “wrong” position and endanger other people’s freedoms as well as ours.

From Romans 8:38-39:

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The best way to escape fear is to focus in the moment on those things we can’t be separated from unless we allow something else to convince us to do it to ourselves:

Focus on God

Focus on Family

Focus on Helping others

Focus on what you can do today

Lose sight of those, you fear, and you lose freedom. Even worse, you might give your freedom away.