If you're a parent of anyone over 12 years of age, there's been a moment when they wanted to do something and you knew it was bad for them and you had to intervene with your wisdom, counsel, direction, influence and guidance, if not command.
Every parent has known they've understood better than their child the way they should live. It is a great son or daughter that comes to that conclusion on their own -- that the Father (and mother), under whose care they live, knows and understands the best way he (she) should live.
When we lived in South Central Minnesota, there were people who would take their vehicles on the frozen lake every Winter. The mere thought of that always used to scare me. Cars weren't made to drive on lakes.
However, one year -- after a lot of prayer and fasting, I decided to try my minivan (this was 25 years ago) on the frozen lake. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and drove my blue Voyager onto the ice. That ended well, but every year someone would drive their car onto the lake one time too many, providing an example for the city that everyone would remember except for the one who would do this action the following year. Their car would go thru the ice and sink, usually with someone in it.
What I learned is there's a right time and a wrong time to go on on frozen lake with your vehicle.
Many times the lake looks fine to drive on and yet, underneath the ice has grown shallow and weak, even though it looks strong.
I could exert my personal freedom and choose to drive my car on the frozen lake in late March. I could say, 'I'm free to drive my car out there if I so choose.' But it would be bad for the car, it would be bad for me, and it would be bad for whoever was with me. There are some realities you have to conform to if you want the freedom to go ice fishing on a Minnesota lake in the winter.
The best freedom is found in you conforming to the design of the lake.
Say you're walking on the beach and you come upon a fish lying on the land. Is that fish now free, out of the constraints of the water? No. He's about to die. If you try to free a fish by putting him on the land, are you freeing him? No, you're killing him. The fish is freest when he's in the water as he's created be.
Joelene and I love the restaurant Maggianos. I have two conflicting desires when we go to Maggianos: One is, I desire a healthy heart. I'd like to be in reasonably good shape so I have energy and can live longer. I'd like to see my grandkids get older.
But that desire (for a healthy heart) says, 'Kevin, order the big salad.'
The OTHER desire says to order it family style -- all you can eat -- two appetizers, two salads, two pastas, two entrees and two desserts.
Am I free to eat whatever I want? Of course, but by eating whatever I'm free to eat, I sacrifice an even greater freedom -- to life.
Am I free to eat what I wish? Sure, but by eating whatever i'm FREE to eat, I sacrifice an even greater to life.
Which is the better freedom - eating whatever I want all the time or living strong, long and healthy?
That isn't lived out by following the 'stronger desire.' Because in the moment I always have a stronger desire to eat what tastes richest and best -- not necessarily what's BEST for me.
But if the stronger desire that I should always follow, then how do I know?
Easy . . . I need something beyond my feelings. What I need is someone who's studied the body and knows the design of the body and can tell me what' best for me. So if a doctor, who's studied the body can tell me what the body is meant for and what's good for it, then God, who made your soul can tell you what it's meant for and what's best for your spirit.
And that is your very best form of freedom.
And be blessed.
Every parent has known they've understood better than their child the way they should live. It is a great son or daughter that comes to that conclusion on their own -- that the Father (and mother), under whose care they live, knows and understands the best way he (she) should live.
When we lived in South Central Minnesota, there were people who would take their vehicles on the frozen lake every Winter. The mere thought of that always used to scare me. Cars weren't made to drive on lakes.However, one year -- after a lot of prayer and fasting, I decided to try my minivan (this was 25 years ago) on the frozen lake. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and drove my blue Voyager onto the ice. That ended well, but every year someone would drive their car onto the lake one time too many, providing an example for the city that everyone would remember except for the one who would do this action the following year. Their car would go thru the ice and sink, usually with someone in it.
What I learned is there's a right time and a wrong time to go on on frozen lake with your vehicle.
Many times the lake looks fine to drive on and yet, underneath the ice has grown shallow and weak, even though it looks strong.
I could exert my personal freedom and choose to drive my car on the frozen lake in late March. I could say, 'I'm free to drive my car out there if I so choose.' But it would be bad for the car, it would be bad for me, and it would be bad for whoever was with me. There are some realities you have to conform to if you want the freedom to go ice fishing on a Minnesota lake in the winter.
The best freedom is found in you conforming to the design of the lake.
Say you're walking on the beach and you come upon a fish lying on the land. Is that fish now free, out of the constraints of the water? No. He's about to die. If you try to free a fish by putting him on the land, are you freeing him? No, you're killing him. The fish is freest when he's in the water as he's created be.
Joelene and I love the restaurant Maggianos. I have two conflicting desires when we go to Maggianos: One is, I desire a healthy heart. I'd like to be in reasonably good shape so I have energy and can live longer. I'd like to see my grandkids get older.
But that desire (for a healthy heart) says, 'Kevin, order the big salad.'
The OTHER desire says to order it family style -- all you can eat -- two appetizers, two salads, two pastas, two entrees and two desserts.
Am I free to eat whatever I want? Of course, but by eating whatever I'm free to eat, I sacrifice an even greater freedom -- to life.
Am I free to eat what I wish? Sure, but by eating whatever i'm FREE to eat, I sacrifice an even greater to life.
Which is the better freedom - eating whatever I want all the time or living strong, long and healthy?
That isn't lived out by following the 'stronger desire.' Because in the moment I always have a stronger desire to eat what tastes richest and best -- not necessarily what's BEST for me.
But if the stronger desire that I should always follow, then how do I know?
Easy . . . I need something beyond my feelings. What I need is someone who's studied the body and knows the design of the body and can tell me what' best for me. So if a doctor, who's studied the body can tell me what the body is meant for and what's good for it, then God, who made your soul can tell you what it's meant for and what's best for your spirit.
And that is your very best form of freedom.
And be blessed.
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