True Freedom

There is great freedom as a follower of Jesus. Yes, there are clear standards by which He wants us to go about our lives, but the Lord articulates these boundaries because He knows that they are for our ultimate good.

Rather than seeing God’s law as a series of things we’re not allowed fo do or say, why not instead view it as a protective guardrail that keeps us from driving off of a precipitously steep and dangerous cliff?

Freedom is a matter of perspective, in my view. I have my struggles like anyone else, but despite these intermittent challenges, I cling to these important biblical truths:

• God loves me, and created me in His image;
• He wants to be my Friend, despite my shortcomings;
• He keeps short accounts and is quick to forgive;
• He knows all things, actual and possible;
• He’s most interested in my continual spiritual growth, and will sometimes use painful things in my life to keep me close to Him;
• He grieves when I grieve, and He earnestly celebrates with me in my mountaintop moments, too.

My list – not exhaustive by any means – could go on indefinitely. When we remember that yes, God holds us accountable, but also that this very accountability is anchored in a love so deep, wide, and fathomless that nothing (or no one) could ever separate us from it, well… there’s a pretty good reason to be hopeful, no?