Freedom sometimes gets messy

Every child loves the idea of total freedom. Ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner; no set bedtime; no limits for the Xbox; no homework and no chores. Every child strives to win this absolute freedom from their parents and this explains a lot of the conflict within families. ‘Give me some more freedom and I won’t detonate this emotional temper tantrum bomb.’ The more freedom a parent gives, the more freedom is demanded.

Paradoxically while we crave freedom, we don’t thrive in uncertainty. We become anxious, fearful, and depressed when faced with uncertainty in our relationships, job, home and family. In our heart of hearts we love order; we love consistency, which explains why we are known for being ‘creatures of habit.’ Kids will test any boundary that looks weak but they would rather the boundaries were firm. To us it may seem like a child is seeking to expand their freedom, but in reality they may actually just be wanting to make sure that the boundary is safe, firm and strong.

We live in a world of uncertainty dressed up in the disguise of true freedom. We are like children wanting to be free of God’s values and authority over our lives. We don’t realise that freedom comes at a price – it come with uncertainty which touches every part of our lives: our relationships, our jobs, our homes, our identity and our whole world. If you are tired of the certainty of uncertainty then perhaps it is time to explore some of the certainties which can be found only in God.

Find out more about God, watch my messages as a video or listen as a MP3. To access our current series go to: www.godsgap.net/goodnews.

the Rev (Chris Perona)

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