‘All things are lawful for me’, but I won’t be enslaved by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12.
Some of the Corinthains, who had the Greek view that the body was not important, took the message about freedom in Christ in the wrong way. They used Christian freedom as an excuse to indulge their sinful appetites.
As Christians we have wonderful freedoms. We are free from worrying constantly about whether we have done enough or are good enough for God. Christ says we are forgiven. We are free to live by faith, and trust that our lives and actions are precious, and we do bring blessing to those around us.
Here is a guideline for checking out whether what we want to do comes from a genuine godly freedom, or is really an enslavement being expressed.
False freedom: there is a compulsive energy about this. It’s forceful, insistent, and has all sorts of self-justifications as to why we are entitled to act this way or indulge this feeling. There is heightened emotion, and the aim is to protect ourselves from some perceived danger. We are not concerned about any damage or impacts to other people around us. We are totally wrapped up in ourselves, we won’t be nice to be with. If we were later looking at a video of ourselves we would see a hardness that is not attractive. When we are in this mood, there is no possibility of growth or change within us.
If we recognize this as it is happening, and can step away from ourselves briefly enough, then we can change course. Otherwise we have to do the harder work later of going through what we did, and seeking healing for any damage to ourselves or others.
Genuine freedom: there is a sense of invitation, rather than compulsion. There is a calmness deep inside us, and a joy as we sense a new possibility. The Holy Spirit gently opens up our understanding. Now there is a new way possible to deal with the issues or hurts. We come across softer and unrushed. We are now more open, as we are coming out of a deeper place within ourselves – a place of personal dignity and wholeness. We are not pushed and pulled by every demand around us. Our ‘yes’ or ‘no’ has more power about it. What we do becomes more effective. No matter how old we are, there is growth and good change. Our lives produce good fruit, and others are blessed by being around us.
The next time you are feeling that tight, heightened emotion, take a moment to pause. Put your hand over your racing heart. Let your breathing and your heart rate become more steady. Then, with a gentler spirit, listen for those inner invitations to freedom and growth. Let those compulsive patterns of reacting be brought into the light of the Holy Spirit. You will be surprised at what emerges. Slowly there will be change, as new patterns and godly habits are established and strengthened.
