The Real Cost of Freedom

This is an article I wrote last year for the 4th of July but somehow I thought it was an appropriate tribute for Memorial Day.  Treasure your freedom - it has been bought and paid for with the blood of One and the blood of many.

Freedom comes with the highest price

Our freedom, so coveted by true patriots, comes at a price far greater than most of us realize.  When we think of freedom, most often we think of the noble men who fought and died to free us from the tyranny of King George, or of the brave souls who risked life and limb to liberate the world twice, in one century, from evil men who fancied themselves demigods.  But, how often do we consider the true author of freedom?

When God breathed the first breath into mankind, he could have chosen to enslave the human race.  Being the author of our lives, He could have given us no choice in who we worshipped, who we served or what we thought.  He could have created a worshipping throng to proclaim His goodness all their days.  Instead, He created a free people.  He breathed the breath of life into a people that could choose to love Him - or not.  He gave us freedom, from our first breath to our last.  God himself is the author of liberty.  And our liberty was purchased at a great price.  Blood.

When God chose to give his children freedom, He knew we would not choose Him.  He knew that we would be tempted by the world.  He knew we would choose to gratify ourselves, serve ourselves and love ourselves.  He gave us our freedom anyway.  And then, he made a way for us to belong to Him in spite of our rebellion - blood.  The blood of his son to be precise.

And, so it is.  Freedom has always been won with blood.  Never, has a single man been freed by the swipe of a pen or the clasp of a hand.  Freedom has always been fought for, bled for and died for.  From the beginning of time, our freedom has been purchased with blood - the highest of prices.

As we celebrate our nation's birthday, I urge you all to recognize the true cost of freedom. My freedom and yours has been bought and paid for with the blood of many.  Our freedom can't be won with words or platitudes, but only by the blood of great men who truly understand the price of freedom.

I am no slave.  I never will be.  I am a free man (woman), not because some government granted my freedom, but because God himself made me free.  My freedom has been bought. And so, my fellow Americans, has yours.