 Photo by Alem Sánchez Wendy V. Lisare’s The Other Side of Fear is the story of possibility when you receive freedom through a relationship with Jesus and the redemption that awaits everyone who repents. Fear clouds human life; sometimes, it seems that it is what drives society. The fear of this, the fear of that--everywhere, people are made to be afraid. Going through abuse and self-hatred while living in a world inundated and permeated by fear, W. Veronica Lisare found freedom through Christ. She recounts her life as a downcast youth and her divorce from a loveless marriage, losing a granddaughter and overcoming cancer to becoming a nurse and then as a minister spreading the word of Jesus Christ. By sharing her tribulations and ultimately coming to the embrace of the Lord, Lisare wishes to teach readers the spiritual tools she learned through her journey. She encourages everyone "to trust God and know that their past does not have to dictate the outcome of their future." Through Christ, everyone can walk through the other side, find God's loving perfection, and live freely under His will. "[H]e who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." The Freedom of Christ Modern society regards freedom as a virtue. In the legal sense, freedom is tied to rights; of course, it would not feel good to be stripped of one's rights. But this gives a misattributed sense of where freedom ultimately comes from--God. A growing number of people in America are beginning to think that freedom is a secular concept and that it either pops out of the ether wholesale or it is something the government provides its citizens. Freedom, colloquially, is synonymous with personal independence--to act, speak, and think, however, whenever, and wherever they want. Yet, that is far from the freedom given by Christ when He revealed Himself as the Messiah. "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" When Jesus asserted that "everyone who sins is a slave to sin" in John 8:34, there was an uproar among the Pharisees because they could not accept that it was the nature of man to sin and to be controlled by it. And how can people escape from the inevitability of sin? Through accepting Christ in your hearts and acknowledging His divinity. For Christians, freedom is not the unfettered permission to do as you please but the liberation from sin. Freedom is to be in a relationship with God and live in obedience to His will. Freedom is the alignment of personal goals to God's will. It is not the material dependence espoused by the secularists but the guarantee of divine salvation through Christ and the promise of eternal life. It is only through submission to Christ that true freedom is realized, and sin is cast off the spirit. Why Secular Freedom Is Not True The "freedom" espoused by secularists is merely the permission to act without consequence, not true freedom. Look at countries where human "freedom" is at its highest. You will find rampant drug use, sexual immorality, and the weakening of the family as a traditional unit, among many others. Anchoring freedom with material gain and prosperity leads to opportunities for vice, and vice is the quickest way to sin. "[B]ut each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed." For true freedom to be available and accessible to everyone, the popular definition should be changed and returned to its rightful state, which is the freedom to live in faith, trust in God's glory and attain divine salvation. Gaining the Freedom of Christ Accepting grace is the key to finding true freedom. By confessing your weakness, acknowledging that you are fundamentally flawed and broken, and conceding that only the love of God allows you to live as you should, you are transformed, body and soul. Receive freedom through a relationship with Jesus and be transformed, be granted a better, more fulfilling life with God. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again"
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