The writer of Psalms 119 states, “I will walk at liberty because I keep your commandments.” (vs. 45) That seems like a totally contradictory statement if we do not understand what true freedom is. Humanly, we tend to think of freedom as setting our own rules, making our own decisions, living our own way. In truth, that is not freedom even politically speaking; that is anarchy. As individuals, we cannot allow this view of freedom to shape our attitudes and behaviors either. For true freedom is living a life of total surrender to my sovereign Lord and Creator. When I am living in surrender to Him, I am free: free from worry, free from self-imposed rules, free from selfish desires, free from sin, and free from others’ expectations. It is tremendously refreshing to live in that kind of liberty.
I am finding this to be profoundly true in my own life right now. When I seek to set and abide by my own standards, when I pursue my own goals, I am not free, I am held captive: captive to my own fleshly whims, captive to my raging emotions, captive to the expectations of others (or at least my perception of those expectations.) We were not made to live like this.
Rather we were created for God’s glory–to live in the constant awareness of His sufficiency, and to find ultimate freedom in our dependence on and subsequent obedience to Him. This is so clearly illustrated in my relationship with my kids. Because they know that I am taking care of things like the mortgage payment, and the electric bill, they are able to live free of financial worries. Because they are confident that I love them and want what is best for them, they can accept my decisions on issues like where they will go to school, or what week ends we will spending visiting Dad. They are free of the stress and head aches of planning and organizing our schedule. They can even trust me to set the right standards for family function: bed times, meal times, required activities, and chores. As they are confident of my love and care for them, they obey the standards I have set for our home, and live in the freedom that care and direction provides.
I walk at liberty when I am obeying God’s commands, because I know He loves me, and created me to live in the freedom of His control.
joyinthemourning 