When Jesus talks about setting us free, it is more than our God-given gift of free will.

 

In some ways that personal will is not all that free. Our decisions and actions are often hampered by irrational fears, imperfect vision and — Jesus notes in particular — enslavement to sin.

 

We make many of our decisions based on what we see as important, how we view ourselves, and how we perceive the world close-by and far-away. All of those views are subject to outside influences.

 

Our core visions of the world and ourselves are rooted in our personal childhood experiences. Because children interpret what happens around them differently than an adult would, and because everything seems bigger when we are small, we can easily not have a reliable picture of ourselves or the world.

 

I’ve seen, for example, how a fall that resulted from being bumped by a big, awkward dog so deeply frightened one child that he appears to be permanently disinterested in animals, even as an adult. The impact of that seemingly-small accident keeps him from the freedom to enjoy a pet.

 

Such impactful happenings don’t cease after childhood. At times we adults will be more or less vulnerable to harm from our employment ups and downs, our educational successes and struggles, our more-intimate relationship joys and disasters, and the levels of physical, mental and emotional health within and around us.

 

Micro-cultures based on race, family, education, income, physicality, age and location are among things that further determine the freedom of our daily journeys and our plans for the future. Those nuts-and-bolts physical things like our level of health and the many circumstances of our homes and families can hamper or expand our inner and outer freedom as we go through our days.

 

This is all aside from all that we absorb from our larger society, some of which is detrimental to us and others. Media is a huge influence, of course, although we can control, more than we realize perhaps, the volume and quality of what we consume with our eyes and ears. 

 

Within all the inner and outer influences buffeting our “free” wills in the circumstances of life, still we can discover the freedom of Jesus by following Him.

 

Choosing Jesus as our moral compass can only benefit us. Everyone serves someone or something, and Jesus truly is our best option. Sadly, He is not always chosen.

 

Some people serve only themselves. Others let their careers dictate their lives. Still others march to the beat of their nuclear/extended families. Various groups and professions give direction and define their members’ understanding of themselves.

 

Putting Jesus in front of all this is the best choice because, wherever we are in life, He can lead us through whatever is ahead. He — more than anyone else or even ourselves — can be trusted to have our best interests in mind as He leads us on.

 

As once-banned, now-trendy things become legal, we see that a lot of people are choosing our State as their moral compass. They believe that legality makes things okay. That unquestioning trust ignores the greed behind many laws. The few who benefit from such legal status do so to the detriment of many.

 

We can use our free wills to not follow such crowds. With prayers, the sacraments and determined decisions based on Jesus, we can begin to taste Jesus’ freedom to serve God well. Such spiritual freedom comes to people who have overcome themselves as well as the world, all with God’s help. 

 

At first, it may seem like following Jesus means our freedom is being taken away, leaving only expectations and obligations. But by continuing on His path anyway, we grow in strength and become able to follow Jesus ever more closely.

 

That is true freedom. We can use our free wills to reach for this great blessing. Jesus is the one who will lead us to joy.

 

Following Him is the greatest use of our free will.