Freedom

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation (Philippians 4:12).

Childhood fantasies—we’ve all had them. A girl dreams of being a princess, someone who gets to wear glamorous clothes and is waited on hand and foot. A boy dreams of being a cowboy, someone who is free to live life on his own terms with no one bossing him around. We have all had dreams like these—dreams where we are free. Free from worry about money. Free from being having to obey endless rules. Free from the restrictions placed on us by gender or skin color. Free from being held back by a body that is not strong enough, attractive enough, young enough, or old enough.

As children, we were taught that if we worked hard, any dream was attainable. But life has not kept that promise, has it? There are people who want to fly a plane but can’t get a license because they have poor eyesight or a seizure disorder. There are people who want to improve our businesses and government, but they cannot afford a college education. Some are held back by prejudice and discrimination; others can’t achieve their dream job because no matter how hard they try to improve themselves, there is always someone else who is better qualified for the position.

When you were young, you had dreams for the future. Sadly, many of those dreams have not come to pass, and maybe they never will. Instead of being free to live as you want, you feel like a slave—a slave to the clock, a slave to your boss, a slave to your family, a slave to your addictions. Some people just give up—they accept their lot in life, and go through each day like a sleepwalker. Others try to get a taste of freedom by challenging the rules—having an affair, shoplifting, or sampling illegal drugs. A few get so depressed that they end their lives with suicide.

As we grow up, we discover that boundaries and limits are a fact of life. But your ability to be happy does not depend on how much freedom you have. Unrestricted freedom only results in chaos, as everyone pushes and shoves to get his own way. That’s why God gave us the Ten Commandments—they restrict individual freedom so that everyone can live together happily. If you feel as if life has got you trapped in a corner, it’s long past time that you pray to Jesus. If you give Him the chance, He will show you how to find happiness regardless of any restrictions that you feel are holding you back.