Inner freedom, brought by the Holy Spirit, is different from the more external freedoms we enjoy in life. Both are important, but they vary in scope and depth.

 

It is easier to identify when that outer freedom is missing, for example in countries where girls are not allowed to attend school. Dictators and repressive regimes not only encourage evils but also prevent good things from happening.

 

The inner freedom given by the Holy Spirit can be found even in places where earthly freedom is absent, seen, for example, in the saints who were interred in concentration camps during World War II. 

But experiences of the Holy Spirit abound beyond such trials. Always, God can free us from our sins and failings — and that is true freedom indeed!

 

This holy freedom is enormously lifegiving; all of us, after all, are submerged in an abundance of soul-enslaving temptations.

 

Years ago in Reno, Nevada, back when that state was the only place where gambling was legal, I gave myself $5.00 worth of nickels to see how long they would last. The “one arm bandit” machine I chose took my nickels and occasionally spat some back out. Back and forth, at one point I had quite a mound in my bucket. I kept going, my quest in mind. Slowly, the nickels disappeared, again with periodic “wins.” The roll of nickels lasted 35 minutes, which was longer than I had guessed it would.

 

But the whole experience felt manipulative, like behaviorist B.F. Skinner’s experiments with pigeons. He discovered variable ratio schedule, which Wikipedia describes as “a procedure in which reinforcement comes after a number of responses that is randomized from one reinforcement to the next (e.g. slot machines).”

 

Skinner’s pigeons would casually peck at a lever when they received a pellet of food each time. But when the pellets were randomly produced, not coming with every peck, those pigeons pecked the heck out of those levers!

 

Needless to say, today’s push-button gambling options are much more sophisticated with tons more science behind their designs, all of it focused on keeping players playing.

 

We can find many other dangers around us, from unhealthy foods and drinks to more “shady” endeavors. We can lose our health, our families, our livelihoods, and all other good things of life to such enticements. 

 

Even if we are blessed not to be wired for particular addictions, we can be harmed, including by our turning away from better pursuits that would feed and uplift our souls.

 

Perhaps we have met people who “found God” when in the midst of indulged temptations. It is awesome to hear how lives can turn from darkness to light, from despair to joy. Our local rescue mission abounds in such stories of new life and how their clients have become filled with inner freedom.

 

Happily, we don’t have to lose everything or “hit bottom” in any way before asking God to come to us with His gift of freedom from whatever is taking over our thoughts and actions. The volume of temptations today surely outnumber those of any past decades, and some are much more deadly. The one-armed bandits in one state a few decades ago don’t compare to the current online gambling, much less the easy availability of pornography and other immoral media.

 

On the other hand, we are blessed today with instant access to the Bible and to great talks, entertainment and programs. The key is to choose wisely what we consume and to resist whatever sin or evil temptation would try to enslave us. God is ready and willing to help us if we ask, no matter how deeply we are mired in darkness. He specializes in new life!

 

So let us surround ourselves with spiritual armor and prayer. 

 

May we find new, inner freedom to resist all that can harm us now and for all eternity.