Christian artist Kirk Franklin says that in order to achieve freedom, one must learn how to sacrifice.
Writing on his Patheos blog, he shared the story of his younger sister was incarcerated in a Texas facility for over 10 years. "She was in love with a young man who was drug dealer. He introduced her to not only selling drugs, but using as well. When he was arrested for drug trafficking, she was arrested along with him," recalled Franklin.
But after she served her time, the review board decided that she was fit enough to be released back to society. While the documents indicated that she was free, Franklin said that this is "only on paper."
It became evident for Franklin that his sister was still in prison even though she was out of the facility. In no time, she was using drugs again and even became "reckless with her body," since she used it as a means to pay for her drug dependency.
Franklin questioned why his sister was unable to embrace the freedom her release from prison offered, but he later understood: "The words on the paper did not possess the power to give her what she truly needed: new data or a new mind. Basically she couldn't experience the written word to be the living word, so she continued being a slave to her past."
He said that his sister needed to go on a "diet" in order to shake off her drug addiction, and that "diet" required emotional sacrifices.
"We must make time to sit, read, and wait until God speaks back. We must let the Bible interrupt the lives we have created for ourselves. We make time for our favourite shows, but we cannot get away with the murder we're doing to our spirits. If we're not careful, our lack of attention will turn into a scandal brewing deep in our souls," he warned.
The singer admitted that self-sacrifice is difficult, but the benefits in the end far outweigh all the hardships endured along the way.
"Getting into God's word allows us to receive new data and give us access to the life of Christ. It won't come easy. Nothing good ever does," he said.
