I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. Psalm 119:45
Funny how we associate freedom with a lack of rules. But that's not how I grew up in my house...
Growing up, my mom made it very clear. Kids who follow the rules get to play ... (I know, that may seem obvious to some parents, but that's not necessarily the standard anymore so I figured it was worth repeating!) So if we didn't do our chores .. no play time. If we didn't obey the rules of the house ... we sat inside watching the kids playing outside. Pretty simple actually. And of course, we started dreaming of the day when we would no longer be restricted by her rules ... we would be free! We would have much more opportunity and not have to worry about the boundaries. I couldn't WAIT to have my own apartment where I could leave the room a mess and STILL go out with friends!!!
Of course, it was only AFTER leaving the house that you discover how much freedom you had. The rules were not difficult (dare I say.. they were actually GOOD rules), and the freedom to do what we wanted came with just staying in those guidelines. Having my own place to live seemed like more freedom, but what I found is it took MORE TIME, MORE WORK, and MORE Rules (I didn't know about "tenant rules" until moving in ... wow, my moms rules were much easier!).
All that to point out that Rules didn't mean restriction... they were the mechanism for privilege!
God is an even better parent than my mother (sorry, mom). He didn't create rules for restriction, He created them for maximum freedom. Using His Word as our boundaries opens the door for more freedom in our lives, less stress, less worry, more blessing. In His Kingdom, those who desire to follow His ways find more freedom to live the way they were designed, without carrying baggage from the past or growing cancer in our souls. His commands are not restrictive, their directive --- sending us forward in life to the place He has designed for us to be.
If you're looking for more freedom, seek God's precepts, obey His commands, search His Word. It may feel like restriction at the beginning (all discipline does), but the freedom that comes in the end will be far more worth it.
Because in His Kingdom - Kids who follow the rules find more privilege to play!
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