What True Freedom Really Means

We may say we are free, but fear can still control our decisions. Comparison can still shape our spending. Comfort can still become our highest goal. Accumulation can still feel like our source of security. The desire for control can still keep our hands closed, even as God invites us to trust Him.

That is why Jesus says in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and money.”

Money is a good tool, but a terrible master. It can be received with gratitude, managed with wisdom, and used for love of neighbor. But when it becomes our master, it distorts everything and leaves us empty.

As evangelist Billy Sunday once said, “The fellow that has no money is poor. The fellow who has nothing but money is poorer still.”

Free from the Love of Money

Hebrews 13:5 gives us a beautiful picture of financial freedom: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have.”

Why can we live that way? Because the verse continues, “for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

Contentment is possible because God is present. Generosity is possible because God provides. Wisdom is possible because God owns it all. And open-handed living is possible because Christ has set us free.

That does not mean financial stewardship is always easy. Many people are carrying real burdens—debt, rising expenses, medical bills, job uncertainty, or the pressure of providing for a family. But even in those places, Christ invites us into a deeper freedom: not freedom from every difficulty, but freedom from fear as our master.

We belong to the One who will never leave us or forsake us.

Living with Open Hands

So this Fourth of July weekend, let’s thank God for the freedoms we enjoy. But let’s also ask Him for a deeper freedom: the freedom to no longer be ruled by fear, greed, comparison, or control.

In Christ, we are free to love God. Free to serve our neighbor. Free to use money as a tool for His purposes. Free to live with open hands because our treasure is secure in Him.

On Today’s Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:

• My wife and I are nearing retirement and planning a home addition. We have about $140,000 set aside and no debt, but we also have a HELOC available. Should we use the HELOC for the project, or would it be better to borrow against my 401(k)?
• We’re considering moving from Indiana to Illinois. My current home is worth about $235,000, and I owe about $70,000. We found a home in a high-demand area that may sell quickly, but our house isn’t on the market yet. How can we move forward without taking on too much financial risk?
• My mother-in-law passed away and left an estate that includes a house and retirement investments. There are several siblings, and the bank wants each sibling’s information so it can issue checks directly to us. I thought the executor was responsible for distributing assets. Why would the bank pay each sibling directly instead?

Resources Mentioned:

• Faithful Steward: FaithFi’s Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner)
• Our Ultimate Treasure: A 21-Day Journey to Faithful Stewardship by Rob West
• Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on Money
• Look At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and Anxiety
• Rich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich Fool
• Find a Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA)
• FaithFi App