WANNA BE FREE? Or wanna
be tied down? I’ve been pondering the
choices we make as believers, and God let me know in a nice, firm way – that we
kind of do it to ourselves sometimes.
That is, we tie ourselves down, more times than not! How?
Well, pull up a chair and listen to this story. Years ago, when our two oldest sons were
little boys, they loved being read to!
Often I would get to the last page of the book, read the last few lines
with a bit more emphasis, end it with a flourish … and I would hear two little
voices saying in unison, “Read it again, Mommy … please read it again!” This is one of those stories that quickly
became a favorite – and even I think of it time and time again – especially
when God uses it to teach me a lesson.
I’m sure it was never written for that purpose, but I love how God
thinks outside of the box and uses whatever He wishes to get His point
across! Well, the story has it that Gulliver sets off on a ship to the
South Seas, but strong winds bring it to shipwreck and Gulliver washes up on an
island called Lilliput. Upon waking up, he discovers to his dismay that he is
tied to the ground. Looking around, he
blinks twice as he sees lots and lots of tiny men no larger than his hands, who
try to keep him prisoner. When Gulliver tries
to break free of the strings, they attack him with their tiny arrows. He tries to stay calm so as not to get hurt,
and in every ensuing interaction with the little people, he tries to show
kindness. But before they come to trust
him, they bargain away at his few belongings in exchange for a little bit of
his freedom – and eventually, he is freed to walk again! But he has to follow the king’s written rules
in exchange for the strings to come off.
Thinking about that story today, God showed me how we as His children get
ourselves in this same predicament. We
set off in a certain direction and when the storms of life come, it’s so easy
to feel like our lives are being wrecked.
It’s one thing to feel washed up – and wonder how we got where we
landed. But the real message of our
story is the “strings that tie us down”.
And, the real question is “how do we get free?” But first of all, how did we get so many
strings entangled around us? Well, lying
there in the wreckage, even though we’ve been saved … spared, it’s so easy to
look back and try to decipher why we’re all tied up in knots. It’s so easy to
get caught up in the blame game, or worse yet, to step into the role of judge
and jury. There goes a string – right
over our body. Certainly, we are better
than those people. We are right –
and they are wrong, of course. Oops,
there goes another string - like a noose, right around our neck. We start comparing how we live life, gauging
it against how they live theirs. There
go several more strings, forming a prison cell of strings that suddenly we
cannot break free from. How did those
little strings get so strong? Each one
was just a thought at first. Or only a
word that we spoke. Or just an innocent
action. Or was it? And why is our Christian life not providing
us the freedom we thought it would bring us?
Maybe, just maybe it’s us. Maybe
we don’t get that to truly live free, we must live in total forgiveness. Maybe it doesn’t soak in that to live truly
free, we must show unconditional love … with no strings attached. If we attach them to others, they come right
back and tighten around our hearts – and suddenly we are free no more. Enslaved?
Or free? How do you want to live
your life as God’s child? Happy and free
and capable of impacting others for Christ?
Then let’s start breaking free from the things that so easily entangle
and enslave us and “… run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1) I want us to be FREE in Christ ~ after all,
that’s how He wants us to live! Let’s
speak boldly and firmly, but as set-free, joy-filled people!!! Then, the world will seek out why we smile
and they’ll be asking to get what we’ve got . . . JESUS!!!
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
SPECIAL BIRTHDAY WISHES go out to Wayne on July 1st, and
to Mary Jo on July 2nd! May
God’s best be yours!
GOD’S BLESSINGS to everyone who helped make our Straight River
Days events so enjoyable and successful!
SUN, JUL 01: 10:00 A.M. –
WORSHIP & PRAISE, w/patriotic message on “The Role of the Church” and
Communion.
SUN, JUL 01: 11:15 A.M.
- KINGDOM CONNECTION Sunday School
classes and Puppet Ministry for our kids!
SUN, JUL 04: HAPPY FOURTH
OF JULY! Enjoy the celebrations that mark
our freedom! And, God, guide America!
SUN, JUL 08: 10:00 A.M. –
WORSHIP & PRAISE / 11:15 A.M. – KINGDOM CONNECTION classes
& puppets!
PRAYER OPPORTUNTIES . . .
Verla, Cherry, Tarike, Daouda, Hazel, Julia, comfort for the loss in the Baugh
& Bolden families, anointing for Seykoras and Lundstroms
REMEMBER . . . “When it’s all said and done, when all the
opinions have been uttered, preached, shouted, and shared, there is only one
thing we can do: From this moment on …
love.” Barbara Johnson
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
