While in prison, I thought about freedom in terms of which side of the fence I was on. All of us knew that those on the outside were free and those on the inside were not. This isn’t completely accurate, however.


Actually, freedom in Christ shows us there is more to it than just what walls you in. A believer in Jesus has been freed from all sorts of bondage. As a young Christian, I was bound by what other prisoners thought of me. I wanted to be a Christian but also be in with the other groups. This burden kept me from raising my hands in worship or clapping when singing because I didn’t want people to think I was some sort of “Jesus Freak.”


One night, when a man was teaching on John 8, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes. At that moment, I realized that I was freer than I had ever been in my life, yet I was standing in the middle of Corcoran Prison! Serving Jesus is true freedom regardless of where you are. Only through Him will you find the freedom that gives life to the full even in the midst of despair.