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It’s been said “Give me liberty or give me death.” But it could be better said, “Give me death and I shall obtain my liberty.” Good morning! Freedom is found within boundaries. Many young people reject the God given boundaries of their upbringing, thinking or feeling as if those restrictions are inhibiting their liberty. But nothing could be further from the truth! As a young person, I couldn’t wait to get out of my Christian home, Christian School and that baptist church! When the day came, I would finally be free from my boundaries, or so I thought. But we only exchange boundaries with bondage! Secondly, Freedom is not only found in submission to boundaries, but freedom is also found in submission to authority. So as we obey God’s boundaries and are guided by His authority we will find restrictions set in our lives by His delegates. These delegates are people He allows to be in authority over us. It is our parents, our preachers, our teachers, our EMPLOYERS, and even our government. Yes, God has ordained and chosen His leadership by OUR placement. He placed you in your home. He placed you in your church. He placed you in that job and He has placed you in the country in which you live. This was intentional on His part. You may wish for something different, but it is not the wish of our Lord, at least not at this time. It is our rejection of His wishes that bring us into bondage. With this said, God has designed a system of advancing our liberty through a routine of daily dieing on our part. That is to say a willingness to give our selfish thoughts, wants and feelings over to the thoughts, wants and feelings of our Lord Jesus Christ as led by His Spirit-our Holy Spirit. The majority of our deaths, that is to say, the sacrificing of our selfishness, will come at the request or behest of our God ordained leadership. If we are unwilling to accept their role of “boundary placement and enforcement” in our lives, do we really think we will enjoy the liberty that comes from our personal death? Liberty doesn’t come because we fight to the death. Liberty comes because we submit to our death! Today, let us give up on our fight to expand our liberties at home or at church or at work and accept our boundaries, embrace our restrictions, honor our leaders and revere our Savior. Then we will find great liberty, for we have died that we may enjoy it! A PRAYER FOR TODAY: “Good Morning Lord! I realize now that my tendency to walk outside the boundaries set by my authorities is really disobedience to You, for You have set these authorities in place. I also see that when I disobey these authorities, I am only bringing myself into bondage, thereby hindering the liberty that You died to give me. I choose today to follow Your guidance through Your appointed leadership, and in so doing, maintain my liberty. Help me to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow You. I pray these things in the blood stained name of your Son, Jesus!” A QUESTION FOR TODAY’S MEDITATION: “If we do what we’ve always done, then we will be what we have always been.” Why would we do that.
Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Steven Curington |
