Freedom.

Such a simple two-syllable word. For many Americans living in the “land of the free and the home of the brave,” it is a cherished, almost sacred word. It is a forceful word that captures a central belief that separates Americans from most other cultures, as its definition is: “The condition or right of being able or allowed to do, say, think, etc. whatever you want to, without being controlled or limited.”

That’s rather a broad definition. It is also a problematic definition.

Given the current moral fabric of the general American society, I argue that it is safe to write that most Americans equate freedom with licentiousness: I have the God-given right to do whatever I want, whenever I want, wherever I want, with whomever I want, so, get out of my way!

In its mature sense, freedom is not selfish. Our country’s Founding Fathers understood this. When they drafted the documents that would become our nation’s Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, they were greatly influenced by the Bible. For them, freedom is a gift from God and an exhilarating right that liberates us to live a full, happy, and responsible life.

The journey from childhood—an immature demand for my way, my wants, my convenience, my needs— to mature adulthood is in fact a passing from the selfish to the right understanding of freedom.

As Pope St. John Paul II remarked, “Freedom is not the right to do what I want but what I ought.”

The God who gave us freedom also revealed to us the responsibilities that come with it, the duties not meant to diminish our freedom, but to enhance it: Natural Law; the Ten Commandments; the dictates of a well-formed conscience.

This is not popular in a culture that prefers man-made liberties to genuine freedom. Today we prefer to stress what we’re entitled to, what we got coming to us, how we are owed something, instead of stressing the duties that we have which come with the fragile gift of freedom.

The Bible reminds us that slavery to sin is the supreme enemy of real freedom. We’re tempted to think that sin is a privilege of freedom. No. Actually, it is a cancer attacking freedom. If we think we have to sin to be happy and free, we’re going to end up unhappy and as slaves.

What then, at least for Christians, is the proper understanding of freedom?

Well, remember, we are not called to be conformed to this world; rather, we are called to the things above as Romans 12:2 reminds us. In the most fundamental sense, since God must be above all things in our lives–including family, friends, and self–in order that we can be called HIs disciples, freedom means surrendering all to God to disperse back to us at His good pleasure, and to seek His Will in all things of our lives. It is a spiritual freedom which is radically different than a physical freedom as it is based on love of God rather than love of self.

Discernment, which can be defined as the “process of prayerful reflection which leads a person . . . to an understanding of God’s call at a given time or in particular circumstances of life. It involves listening to God in all the ways God communicates with us: in prayer, in the scriptures, through the Church and the world, in personal experience, and through other people,” is an extremely necessary component in this journey to freedom. St. Ignatius of Loyola taught that part of how one knows that they have reached a higher level of spiritual freedom is that a “holy indifference” begins to develop.

This is not a negative indifference in which one doesn’t care about something. Rather, one is detached from things, trusting God to see and know what is best for us, and to be the Truth and completeness beyond our human understandings or thoughts. We deeply desire to be led by the Father and we offer Him our limitations, biases, fears, and concerns freely, not caring if God’s designs or guidance matches what we desire or believe.

 Thus, freedom means giving up our expectations and answers that we want or have, and freely seek guidance from the Spirit which may contradict or confirm the thoughts we already knew or believed. Freedom can be an extremely difficult discipline to master because most people are secure and comfortable in the belief the familiar worlds of their thoughts, beliefs, and reality that they created are right and it can be very uncomfortable – frightening, even – to surrender our small, puny self-will to the greater will that was revealed through the grace of the Spirit.

How might you do what you ought in applying St. Paul’s formula for true happiness and genuine freedom in Galatians 2:20–”it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me”—and adopt a mindset that and freely (and obediently) submit all parts of us–spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally–to God, just as Jesus did in His Passion? After all, the story didn’t end in darkness, but rather in glory three days later.

God bless America!