We celebrated our Independence Day as a nation from the monarch of Britain last week. It was July 4, 1776, when the Continental Congress declared that the 13 colonies would no longer be subject to Britain. They were now an independent country, united and free. We celebrate this wonderful day with fireworks (of course!) and getting together with our family.

As July 4th came and gone, it made me think. I also have another Independence Day. It was on May 24, 1988. That was the date that I surrendered my life to Christ. It was the day that my sins were washed away in baptism. It was the day that I made the decision to stop living for myself and the devil and start living for God.

Before that date of May 24, 1988, I was a slave to sin and the devil. You see, the choice is binary. You are either on the devil’s side or you are on God’s side. There is no middle ground. The Bible sheds some light on this subject.

Romans 6:17 “But God be thanked that though you were slaves to sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”

Romans 6:22 “But now having been set free from sin and having become slaves of God…”

So as you can see, we have a decision to make as humans. So I want to live for God or do I want to live for the devil? Do I want to be a slave to the devil or do I want to be a slave to God? Being a slave to the devil means that I continue to do what I want to do. Being a slave to God means that I no longer serve myself, but I serve God.

Just remember one thing. The reward of serving God is out of this world! Yes, we may have difficult times living in this world. Things sometimes are not easy, but serving God is the only way to go. Have you declared your independence yet?