We are truly free when we are able to choose with wisdom and measure our choices by their spiritual benefit. If our freedom creates negative consequences in our relationship with God, our pure conscience, the lives of our loved ones and the people of the world, then we need to take this into consideration.
“Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial…. I shall not be mastered by anything” 1 Corinthian 10:23
As we mature and become wiser, we recognise that while we have the liberty, true liberty comes when we are truly free to choose without the bonds of our sinful desires and habits. We need to take time to consider our spiritual blindspots and take steps to remove them.
- How do we spend our time?
- What media do we consume?
- Who do we spend most of our time with?
- Are we the same person when no one else is looking?
- Do we keep the physical and spiritual disciplines are required of us?
- Are there areas where we have become enslaved or addicted?
- Have cultural norms allowed us to embrace sinful practies without conviction?
So our freedom is limited by these considerations: the effect of the action on ourselves and on others, and the long-term effect for His kingdom.
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
#freedom, #SpeakLife, #dogood