Two freedoms

There are two freedoms - the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; the true, where he is free to do what he ought. (Charles Kingsley)

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

 (Proverbs 29:18)

Two freedoms - one false, the other living and thriving. Which would you choose? So many people choose the false sense of freedom, believing that being able to do as one pleases, unfettered by any form of rule to live by is some sort of 'heaven on earth'. I would suggest to us that 'heaven on earth' is not as good as life gets, though. Earthly gladness or glee is just that - earthly, fleeting, and eventually will pass away. The freedom to do as we ought, as laid out for us in the set of 'rules' we call the living word of God, now that is true freedom. Some see 'rules' as fettering, but God sees them as protection for a soul that may not know how to choose wisely all the time!

One of the biggest struggles we may find in society today is a certain lack of 'common sense' that leads to all manner of misguided actions. Whenever man's mind and heart guide the actions apart from the wisdom God gives through his word and his Spirit, there will be more than a little confusion and frustration. Our own wisdom is good to a point, but at some point, we will need God's wisdom in order to truly understand the true freedom he brings to those who invite him into their lives. To merely invite one in does not give them the run of the place, does it? We must do more than invite Christ into our lives - we must give him the run of our hearts, minds, and spirit. Otherwise, we will run wild, doing whatever we want, whenever it feels right, without regard to what it may do to others.

We will never know the liberty of living 'within the lines' until we finally step fully inside those lines. This may seem counter-intuitive, but you can trust that I have lived both outside and inside those lines of God's 'rules'. I have lived right smack in the middle, and way too close to the edge at times. The closer I get to the middle, the more I find peace, true contentment, and a 'settled spirit' that helps me make wise choices in life. The closer I move to the edges, the more there is a lack of contentment and an 'unease' over where I am at that moment. You may be way too close to the edge today or find yourself having stepped totally outside of the lines he has prepared for us to live within. It isn't too late to find your way back inside those lines! You choose the 'freedom' you will enjoy. Just sayin!