Ding dong! The doorbell rings, and you see a friendly delivery person in uniform holding a large package with your name on it. You see that it’s from… Oh, your Father! What a pleasant surprise! You open the door all the way, and they offer to put it inside your house for you. You step aside and allow them to place it in the entryway. After they leave, you close the door, smiling and wondering what delightful surprise awaits you.
The Gift
Did you notice 2 Peter 1:3? God has given us everything we need for a vibrant spiritual life and godliness. It sounds like a dream, doesn't it?
It also sounds like freedom to me. Freedom is getting to do you what you want. So if you want to live a powerful godly life (a noble goal), then accomplishing that would be freedom. The good news is that God wants that for you, too. Scripture says, “It was for freedom that Christ has set us free.” It’s why Jesus came. He wanted it so much that He paid for it with His life. All His blood poured out - for your freedom and mine.
Freedom comes in levels. For example, people in solitary confinement have little freedom. Other people in the prison have more freedom, and those who are outside have even more freedom. If freedom is a gift from God that has already been given to us, then our level of freedom depends on us, not on Him.
Now, I’ve never been in a solitary confinement cell. But when my addiction was at its peak, my life focus was confined to one solitary goal: alcohol. I was in an isolated world, and it was driving me crazy. No one thinks, “I want to be less and less free,” but one day, I woke up realizing that I'd been in chains. And there seemed to be no way out.
Open the Package
Let's get back to the package. It’s our gift of freedom, and it’s been completely paid for. God himself paid for the shipping and delivered it to us through Jesus, God on earth.
But we must open the door and say, "yes, thank you. Please come in." We must step aside and allow the deliverer to pass into our private space. We have to open the package and take it out and use it.
Wouldn’t it insult my Father if I never opened the package? Or how about if I open it and then leave it in the box, put it aside, and forget about it? After all that expense and effort.
The Next Level
Whatever level of freedom you are walking in now, I want to encourage you to go after more. Let’s make use of the precious gift we have been given. The above scripture says that we exercise this gift when we take the time to encounter (personal knowledge) His son, Jesus (Kyle’s story has a great example of this).
Want some more practical ideas? God speaks to everyone differently, but here’s what’s worked for me:
- Meditate on scripture. For example, you can start by journaling about the scripture above. What do you think it looks like for you to live a vibrant spiritual life? Think about how much you know Jesus now and what it would take to get to know Him better.
- Go on a date with Jesus. Take your Bible and a journal to the park or a café. Talk to Him out loud or write down your thoughts. Leave space for Him to give you ideas too.
If you want different outcomes, you must do things differently, right? Freedom is your gift. I hope you’ll open your package and take it for a spin! Let me know how it goes.
For your freedom and mine,
