By Lauryn D (Year 12)

In a world that constantly promises more opinions, more independence, and more control over our lives, freedom is often treated as the ultimate goal. We are told that the more choices we have, the freer and happier we will be. Yet many of us feel overwhelmed, exhausted and strangely trapped by the very freedoms we celebrate. This tension sits at the heart of what can be called ‘the illusion of choice’, a belief that more options always lead to more freedom. 

By looking at our modern lives through a lens of freedom, control and purpose, we can begin to see that not all freedom is actually freeing. From this perspective, I want to bring to your mind three ideas:  

1. The freedom explosion
2. The freedom trap / illusion of choice
3. Freedom that works / True Freedom

Whilst we go through these points, I’d like you guys to think about 2 questions in the back of your mind, so you can reflect on them when you’re done reading.  

1. What is the difference between the world’s and the Bible’s perception of freedom? 
2. How will this change the way you live?

1. The Freedom Explosion 

In some parts of the world, freedom is scarce and difficult to pursue. In North Korea for example, access to the internet and outside media is strictly illegal. Citizens are restricted to government approved news and entertainment and even owning a foreign movie could lead to major punishment. Yet people still risk smuggling in USB sticks filled with films, music, and information from the outside world.  

This behaviour, despite the dangers, reveals something about our human nature: that people naturally don’t like being restricted. They long for freedom, for the ability to see, hear and know more than we are allowed. Freedom is powerful and instinctively desired.  

In Australia, the situation is very different. We enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to choose our career, and freedom to shape our own lifestyle. Our explosion of choices is seen in simple tasks like picking from 53 different jams on the shelf at Woolies or what we are going to wear. Even something small, like deciding which show to binge on Netflix, is actually a reflection of the hundreds of options placed in front of us every day. We are also given the choice of where we want to spend our time. We have the freedom of technology. We have freedom for instant communication, unlimited entertainment, and the promised limitless freedom on social media. On the surface, this looks like the ideal version of freedom. We aren’t told what to watch, what to wear, what to believe, or what to do with our spare time. 

But do you think people today are necessarily happier because we have more freedom and choices to make every day? I don’t think so. 

Because here’s the thing: more freedom doesn’t always equal more happiness. Instead of feeling free, sometimes we actually feel overwhelmed, trapped, or exhausted by our choices. This is the paradox of modern freedom. Sometimes freedom can become a “trap.” 

Let’s go back to the example of choosing what to wear. Every day at school we are forced to wear the same school uniform, a choice that is made without our freedom. However, we all every morning wake up with the choice of if we will wear it correctly. I want you to think about that, when you aren’t or haven’t worn it to the school’s standards, why is that? Is it because you want to be different? Or maybe it’s because you want to fit in with everyone who doesn’t follow it? Or maybe it’s because you want to look your best and the proper uniform doesn’t do that? I’m not sure what the reason is, and it’s probably not a uniform reason, (hope you liked the pun there). But I want you to all reflect the choice you make to defy the rules. Is it setting you free and making you truly happier? 

2. Freedom Trap

I want you now to pull out your phones quickly and check your screen time and the times you pick up your phone, and I want you to reflect on it: did you even know how much time you spent on your phone? 

Technology gives us freedom to connect, but it can also in a way enslave us to scrolling, checking notifications, and comparing ourselves on social media. The “freedom” to be online whenever we want can quickly shift into the pressure of always being available, always checking, always comparing. We get told about unlimited freedom from technology, but aren’t we just being addicted with bad habits? 

We say that we want freedom. True freedom. But in our modern world it is so easy to become addicted to the wrong things – followers, TV shows like The Summer I Turned Pretty, PlayStation games, being liked by everyone, good grades, and so many more. We become slaves to what we think sets us free.

2 Peter 2:19: “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.’

2 John 8:34: “Jesus replied, ‘Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”

What do these verses tell us about where our slavery lies? The world promises us freedom through unlimited choice and connection, but in reality, it can trap us in addiction and comparison. Our experiences of being dependent on things such as technology begin to tie down into bad habits. I hope you guys can see, or start to see, that is not freedom. That is not true freedom. Only Jesus brings true freedom. 

3. Freedom That Works 

So, we’ve wrestled a bit with how “freedom” – or better put, the “world’s freedom” – can be very unhelpful and controlling. But does that mean all freedom is bad and controlling? My answer is no. So what is helpful freedom? 

Let’s take the simple goldfish analogy. If you take a goldfish out of its bowl and let it be “free,” is the goldfish going to flourish, even if that is what it wanted to do? It might seem as though its limits had been removed, but in reality, the goldfish would not flourish. It would die. 

Real freedom is not the absence of boundaries but the right boundaries that allow flourishing. The goldfish is most free not when every limit is removed, but when it lives within the environment it was designed for.  

What does flourishing mean? 

Google defines flourishing as ‘developing rapidly and successfully; thriving’. It’s not just about surviving but actually living the life we were meant to live, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and relationally. We flourish when we live in line with our purpose, and as Christians we recognise that true purpose and design come from God – we are called to live by his design, because that is real freedom.  And if you’re wondering how we can know the way God wants us to live and how he speaks to us, we can learn God’s will by studying the Bible, praying, and being open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  

So let’s turn to the Bible and see its idea of freedom, because it’s one thing for me to say all these things, but it’s another if that aligns with the Bible.  

• 2 Corinthians 3:17 – “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 

• John 8:36 – “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” 

According to these verses, where does our freedom come from? Is it from technology or choices? No, it is found in knowing Jesus and living by God’s design, which is so different from the freedom most commonly promoted in the world. 

Christianity says that real, true freedom is found not in autonomy. Autonomy means the ability to make your own decisions and govern yourself without being controlled by others. Autonomy is different from freedom as true freedom is living according to our Creator’s purpose. 

Living according to that purpose gives us the freedom to have constant peace, joy, and love in a broken and messed up world. It shows that true freedom is not found in doing whatever we want whenever we want to, but in willingly living under the authority of the Creator who knows what leads to our flourishing. 

This world is always going to fail us, but we can take heart knowing that we have the freedom to call the God of the universe our Father, to talk with him anytime, and to be set free from our addiction to our desires, so that we can enjoy life the way he intended. We can flourish alongside each other living according to our purpose. 

So I challenge you all, especially over the next week, to think about where you spend your time, why you spend your time there, and if you are truly happy and free while doing this. I challenge you to not think of the Bible as a rule book that wants to make our lives boring but instead provides us with boundaries that will let us flourish as people who are deeply loved, guided, and equipped to live meaningful lives. 

Real freedom is not the absence of boundaries but the right boundaries that allow flourishing.