Talking to Wolter about his post on "Hitchhike to heaven", I was reminded of what I've learnt about freedom.
Bob Dylan wrote: "It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody."
"Gotta serve somebody" is not my personal favourite by Dylan, but he made a good point. You are never free to do whatever you want. But you can choose what you serve.
"Freedom is having the strength to do what you know you ought to do."
Josh McDowell in 'More than a carpenter'
You're in bondage if you know what you should do, but can't. You're in bondage if you think you're doing what you want to do, when you're only serving your own urges.
I was 19 when I learnt one of my major lessons on freedom and when I came face to face with grace in a way that I hadn't known before. I met Jesus at a much younger age, but I'll never forget the day when I realised anew what amazing gift He'd given me. It seemed like I was "born again, again".
It was at a conference and I was struggling to keep myself awake during the message, because every night was shorter and more social. The message was about Peter (Matthew 14: 25-33) and afterwards I was amazed at what had gotten through to my sleeping mind. It was like God decided to speak to me anyway, even if I wasn't listening very much.
It was like I suddenly saw just how free I was and it was awesome! See, what I learnt from Peter is this:
With faith like a child we are willing to be corrected and humbled in order to grow and we're free to be ourselves, because it's ok to fall, as long as we get up again.
Freedom isn't doing whatever I feel like at the moment. I know I hurt myself when I make the mistake to think that it is. True freedom is being free from me, from guilt, from fear of failing. It makes me free to serve God and others, and not my own sinful desires. There is satisfaction and joy in that.
I was 19 when I learnt one of my major lessons on freedom and when I came face to face with grace in a way that I hadn't known before. I met Jesus at a much younger age, but I'll never forget the day when I realised anew what amazing gift He'd given me. It seemed like I was "born again, again".
It was at a conference and I was struggling to keep myself awake during the message, because every night was shorter and more social. The message was about Peter (Matthew 14: 25-33) and afterwards I was amazed at what had gotten through to my sleeping mind. It was like God decided to speak to me anyway, even if I wasn't listening very much.
It was like I suddenly saw just how free I was and it was awesome! See, what I learnt from Peter is this:
With faith like a child we are willing to be corrected and humbled in order to grow and we're free to be ourselves, because it's ok to fall, as long as we get up again.
Freedom isn't doing whatever I feel like at the moment. I know I hurt myself when I make the mistake to think that it is. True freedom is being free from me, from guilt, from fear of failing. It makes me free to serve God and others, and not my own sinful desires. There is satisfaction and joy in that.
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