What is freedom, really?

(Luke 16:1–13)

Sometimes I catch myself wishing I had been born into wealth, or that I’d hit the lottery, or stumble across that one million-dollar idea. Because, let’s be honest, society constantly tells us that with money comes freedom.

But what is it to be free?

Is it the ability to buy whatever you want without checking your bank account? To pack a bag and fly anywhere in the world on a whim? To surround yourself with the most powerful and attractive people? To hold such power and control that you no longer feel the sting of poverty, illness, hunger, or the stress of making ends meet—because you have endless resources at your disposal?

That sounds appealing. And when I think of freedom on the grandest scale, I think of the kind of freedom God has—the freedom to know all, to foresee all, to be in complete control, to do exactly what God wills when God wills. That sounds like the ultimate freedom, doesn’t it?

But here’s the truth: freedom in any form is never actually free.

Tastes of Freedom

Think about the little tastes of freedom you’ve had in your own life. Maybe you owned your own business and could set your hours. Maybe you were a homemaker, shaping your household however you wanted. Maybe it was college—the first time you were out from under your parents’ rules. Those moments felt like freedom. pair freedom with resources, and it becomes an even greater gift.

The danger is that freedom with resources also comes with massive responsibility.

The Temptation of Freedom

That’s where temptation creeps in. Call it Satan, call it a dark force, call it whatever you will—but we all know there’s something that deceives us, even when our intentions are good. Freedom tempts us to serve ourselves. But when we become too self-serving, we actually end up enslaved.

How much is ever enough? How many billions before someone finally says, “That’s enough, I’ve won at capitalism, here’s my trophy—now I’ll leave the rest for everyone else”? Yet history shows us over and over again how often wealth corrupts, divides, and enslaves.

Even inheritance isn’t safe—how many times have you seen children inherit wealth or businesses only to squander it because they didn’t know how to steward the freedom entrusted to them?

Freedom as Gift and Calling

In infinite wisdom, God did not hoard power to self. Instead, creation itself is God’s act of giving away freedom. We are entrusted with dominion—pieces of God’s own work. But look at what we’ve done: oceans choked with plastic, wars waged for power, oppression institutionalized, space junk orbiting above our heads.

So the real question is: what do we do with the slivers of freedom we’ve been given?

Freedom is not about always doing whatever we want. Think about art: anyone can splatter paint on a canvas and call it art. And sometimes, that even sells for millions. But when you refine your craft—when you learn color theory, brush techniques, shading, perspective—you can create something far more meaningful than freedom without discipline ever could.

In the same way, our faith calls us to refine the way we live into freedom. Whatever freedom we have, we give back to God, co-creating something greater than we ever could on our own.

Reflection Questions

1. What tastes of freedom have you experienced in your own life?

2. How have you seen freedom misused—either in your life or in society?

3. Where do you sense God calling you to refine how you live out your freedom?

4. What does it look like to give your freedom back to God in co-creation?

Closing Prayer

Creator of all,

You gave us freedom not as a burden but as a gift. Yet too often we hoard it, squander it, or twist it into chains that bind us. Free us again, O God—not for self-serving gain but for your glory. Teach us to give back whatever freedom we hold so that together we may co-create with you beauty, justice, and love in this world. May our lives become refined art in your hands. Amen.

Hymn for Meditation

You can also sing it as, "I'm so glad Jesus, set me free"