In a fast-paced world overloaded with technology and information, it can be difficult to remember who we are as God’s children. We are called not only to do, to build, and to accomplish, but to be and to love in freedom. Embracing that deeper call requires courage, mired as we are in our own weaknesses as well as the increasing manipulation of others. Yet from the beginning God offers us a life full of love and happiness with Him. At the core of this gift is our freedom and we must struggle to maintain it, defend it, and grow continually in it.

In Made for Freedom, author Jutta Burggraf offers a penetrating meditation on freedom and its importance in the life of a Christian. She explains that our ultimate happiness is a result of a humble “yes” to God’s gift of our very selves, accepting both the light and the darkness of who we are. From there, we can go a step further to accept God’s love and invite Him, and only Him to fill the gaps with love and healing. With this humble but honest perspective, we can choose to love ourselves as God loves us, and in turn, to love others.