I started thinking about and looking at liberty/freedom and read the following:
True liberty is living as we should not as we please.
"Free in yourselves, free in your conscience, free in your mind and heart.” Spurgeon
I then read from a book by Frances Chan about Ester Ann Kim – a woman who was imprisoned for her faith and knowing she would be imprisoned, how she prepared herself and how God used her to be a light in such darkness. This sentence really spoke to me:
“Her obedience to Christ only increased her ability to hear the voice of the Spirit, and consequently filled her with overwhelming love for the people she came in contact with.”
And then, in the quiet, I thought: We have been set free to obey – and it’s a gift, not something we earn. Thinking about the dogs and having them on a leash or not. Bob’s desire to please, because he craves attention, has earned him the privilege of not always having to wear a leash. He has learned to come when called (which keeps him out of trouble). Autumn, on the other hand, wants to do what she wants to do, which sometimes causes her to run off and because of that, we usually keep her on a leash. Shadow, because of his compliant nature, always stays close and comes when called and never has to be leashed.
God has set the standard whereby we can be free and has provided the means to real freedom, through the cross and through His indwelling Spirit. The cross set us free from the leash and His Spirit guides us as we learn how to walk in true freedom. It’s a day by day journey, but one we do not walk alone as we listen for His voice.
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