Aweikinin 22/01/2015

From Galatians 1:1-3

“Freedom!”

H,

Well, that is the thing about freedom we fear the most. Not really for ourselves but in the need to control it in others. There is that very flawed need to say to others to be careful with the grace of God while we are not. Freedom promises us, also, crucial release from our own stupidity.

It is like this: once we agree that we are on the right path toward eternity we are faced with a latter realization that we often fall off that path and make a dozen petty mistakes per second. We see our lives as the light reveals them and we know then that we have a long road ahead of us.

We may have that initial spurt of self righteous do gooder-ness or a few of our habits we may find were not habits but things we did to fill the time. Now we have a different sort of time and a different set of impulses we are learning. We may even coast on this for a while and enjoy that lengthy period of joy where we see stars in everything and bounce about thinking everyone is wrong and so wrong that our assumed right is such a badge of honour. Who needs drugs or drink or sex when you can be high on your own private supply of self?

All these we take to be our life hidden in God and it is glorious. Till, thankfully, we hit a brick wall. We experience the odd hint now and then that we are not as close to perfection as our light feet has led us to believe. We come up short. We remember that the authority for all this comes from Christ and put up against that great glory, if we are honest, we shrink in comparison. Flaws become apparent and reappear. The honey moon is over and the real grind of daily holy living sets in.

Now, we feel trapped. We know we are not good enough but we cannot go back. We have been unplugged and life is now defined in shades of white and black. We are trapped by knowing the truth. We are trapped by many voices. We are trapped by fragile egos that love to be right and to be right heard.

Now, at this point, gasping for real air, we are ready for the freedom that was first offered to us. There is no more a tape to our greatness. The journey to be finally free from self and sin can now begin.