Freedom...

So once again my children are bringing out the need for bloggin’. Here’s the thing, so I am outside with my son this morning and we are doing MAN stuff (keep in mind he is 4). So we are filling up the tires on his brand new “big boy” bike. We are mowing the lawn, sweeping and having a great time. He asked me if he could ride his bike. I said sure, but I need to give you some boundaries for your safety, your protection. He asked why and I told him because I don’t want anything to happen to you. So I told him where he could ride his bike to and from. That way I could keep an eye on him to make sure that if something were to happen I would be right there for him. He understood everything completely. He received his direction and was ready to go and have fun. Somewhere along the line he had a little malfunction, a brain fart…because I look up and he is way past the line that I set for him. I whistled at him and he pretended not to hear me at first, so I called for him again. Then it was like “oh, you were talking to me”. “What daddy” he said. I said boy, get back here so I can protect you. So slowly he made his way back. My question to myself was…why must he test his freedom? I gave him plenty of freedom with boundaries for his protection. He could do anything he wanted to do, play anything he wanted to, ride as fast as he wanted to, but it still wasn’t good enough. He wanted to move away from my covering of protection…can you see where I am going with this yet? As soon as that thought came to my mind, God said “What makes you any different than your son?” Now why did He have to go and say a thing like that? God was saying that he has given us the freedom to live our lives and the freedom to make our own choices but he has given us some guidelines to follow. Not to bind us or keep us from having fun but to protect us. He knows who (the enemy) is out there and what their intentions are for us. He gives us a free will to do whatever we want. Here’s the kicker; we will receive whatever consequences there are to receive. In many cases that is not always a bad thing. If my children make the right decision and follow my direction, they will actually have more freedom to do what they want because they can be trusted with what little I have given them. Again, God is the same way. God will only give us what we can handle. It’s what we do with it that determines if He can trust us with more. Here is the other thing, we have to learn to trust that God, period! He has given us these guidelines for us to learn to trust Him and as we do he will give us more freedom. The things that might bog you down in life…your job, your finances, family relationships…anything that may be bogging you down, God has given it to you for a reason. God is there with you. And as you learn that there is freedom in Him those things seem to disappear. When you are not following God, you are actually being held captive by those things that are bogging you down. You may think that in not following Christ there is freedom, but you are mistaken. Satan uses that deception to keep you bound to the very things that should offer you freedom. Now, what are you going to do with your freedom? Are you going to go away from your boundaries or are you going to choose to follow what Daddy (Father God) has given you? God wants you to trust Him completely in the Freedom that He has given you.
Love you all, Kristian