The Cost of Freedom - Part 3 of 4
There is a great double irony in the Christian faith involving the freedom that we have been discussing. Most people that stay away from the faith do so because they don’t want to give up certain “freedoms” that they want in their lives. They want to do what they want to do and when they want to do it. What they don’t realize is that some of those same things that they don’t want to give up actually lead them to bondage - addictions, idols, opinions of others, endless pursuit of pleasure etc... On the other hand - the Christian life, which is perceived to require lots of restrictions, actually leads us to freedom.
Here is the basic premise behind how that works:
True freedom is not living with no boundaries, it’s living with the right boundaries.
This isn’t just true as it relates to our faith; it’s true in every area of our lives - our health, relationships and finances to name a few. If we don’t have boundaries/restrictions with our diet and discipline in taking care of our bodies, we are not going to be happy with the result. The same is true in relationships. Boundaries have to be established and honored to develop “true relational freedom” that is based on trust and respect instead of doubt, envy and fear. Lastly, if we don’t have well established restrictions on how we handle the financial blessings that God gives us, we will not enjoy financial freedom but instead find ourselves in bondage to debt and materialism.
These examples show how a lack of boundaries and disciplines can lead you to a bad place in each of these important areas of our lives. It’s equally true with our spiritual lives. This is most important area of all and a lack of boundaries there ultimately leads us to all sorts of sin. Alternatively, look at what it says in Psalms about the results of obedience:
Psalm 119:44-45 I will always obey your law forever and ever, I will walk about in freedom for I have sought out your precepts.
The word precept is defined as “a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought.” This verse provides us with the answer of how to obtain true freedom in Christ - by seeking out and following the precepts of God and being obedient.
In order to do this it requires that we have certain boundaries and disciplines in our lives. A wise wise man once said:
The personal disciplines that you form, will end up forming you.
Stay hungry,
Big E