When I read this morning's devotional my mind immediately went to a conversation I had with my Bible study a few months ago, about finding freedom in Christ. How many non-believers have you heard talking about how restricting Christianity is? To them it probably seems like a lot of rules. But those who have tasted the love of Jesus Christ know that Christianity isn't about the rules. The rules are important because they allow us to grow closer to God, and keep our focus on Godly things. They are important because by them we can better understand and follow God. Because the things that those rules are about, are distractions from our relationship with God. Every minute I spend sinning is a minute I can't spend in relation with God. How wasteful!
And Through Christs blood we are given such amazing freedom. Freedom from the need to fulfill the world's expectations of us. We aren't required to look like the model in the magazines because we find our worth in Jesus. Our life goal isn't to have a successful career but to live as an example of the power, mercy, love, grace.... the list goes on... that God grants us as a gift. The freedom we are given through Christ isn't following our sinful nature around and doing whatever it wants us to do. It is not this world's idea of freedom. In Christ we are free to be exactly who God wants us to be, and since he wants us to be exactly who we are (He created us for good works... we were made to serve God; it's who we are) we have the ultimate freedom.
After I finished reading the devotional I decided to browse the internet's plethora of lyrical knowledge to see what the world had to say about "freedom." A simple google search of "song lyrics freedom" led me to a song by Akon. The very first lines read:
Everything I have, everything I own
All my mistakes man, you already know
I wanna be free, I wanna be free
We are all looking for the same thing. Only through Christ can we find the perfect freedom we long for.
Every minute I spend sinning is a minute I can't spend in relation with God. How wasteful! - This is a very, very true and powerful statement about sin. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSome mystic (sorry I can't remember the name) once said - "Sin is its worst punishment." What does that mean? Well, it's kind of like eating manure. You tell kids on the farm (a buddy of mine's sister used to actually do this.) - "Stop eating manure!!!" If she said, "why?" Your follow-up argument is . . .. BECAUSE YOU'RE EATING MANURE!" The action is its own punishment.
I've also heard it said - "Love is its own reward."
To live in Love (intimacy with God who is love) is the immeasurable, spectacular, eternal, mind-blowing reward of grace.
Your post definitely helped me see that truth. Thanks.
"We're all looking for the same thing." Hmm so good. Christian, non Christian, old, young, man, woman, rich, poor, happy, sad - we are all looking for the same thing. How crazy is it that we can feel so disconnected from other people on this earth when we are all looking for the same thing? All seeking to fill the same void, all seeking to remove the same chains of bondage - how heart breaking is it that so many people have no idea where to find this freedom and fulfillment. Man, what a privilege it is to be a child of God.
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