Jesus said, “If you hold to My teaching,
you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will
set you free.” (John 8:31b-32 NIV)
J. Walter Cross tells of flying a kite
with his son Jay in southern Florida during some windy weather: The wind was
strong, and the kite grew smaller and smaller as it tugged against the string.
The harder the wind blew, the higher the kite rose. Then there was a sickening
snap! The string had broken. The kite was free, but it was no longer soaring
higher. It was tumbling, falling crazily to dash itself against the ground or
become tangled in the trees. What kept the kite airborne was the restraint of
the string. When that was lost, the kite was unable to fly. It is not the
absence of restraints that makes us free.
There is no freedom in life until one
belongs to God. Every other form of it is an illusion. We find the freedom to
achieve the greatest desires of our lives only when we live in that
relationship. When Christ binds us to Himself, then we are free.
-- J. Walter Cross, as quoted in the journal of “Homiletics”,
October-December 1994
#4085
"You, my brothers and
sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the
flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." (Galatians 5:13 NIV)
Boundaries
-- in or out? The whistle blows when the
football player runs out of bounds. The
baseball player hits one outside the lines and hears, "Foul ball!" When snow skiing, out of bounds is a
dangerous place to go. You might come
face-to-face with a tree or be swept away in an avalanche. Boundaries are our friends -- they keep us
safe.
A
group of educators… decided to remove the chain-link fences from around the
school playgrounds. They believed the
fences promoted feelings of confinement and restraint. However, as soon as the fences were removed,
the children huddled in the center of the playground to play. Conclusion, Children need boundaries.
Adults
need boundaries, too. God has set loving
parameters for His people, and those who choose to live "out of
bounds" will find themselves outside of His Kingdom.
-- Lenya Heitzig and Penny
Pierce Rose in Pathway to God's Treasure: Ephesians
#3468
