Freedom...

I saw this cartoon on another blog the other day.  I thought it very relevant to the world we live in today.


Fear is the lock that imprisons our lives.


Think about it, let's just start with how we raise our kids to follow the American dream:

• You've got to study hard in school.  Why?  Because if you don't you will never get into a good college.  Fear.
• You've got to get into a good college even if it means a hundred thousand dollars (if not more) of debt.  Why?  Because if you don't you have no chance of landing a good paying job.  Fear.
• You've got to get a good paying job.  Why?  Because if you don't you will never be able to live in a safe neighborhood.  Fear.  Because if you don't you will never be able to drive a reliable car and you will get stranded some dark night on a lonely stretch of back road.  Fear.  Because if you don't you will never be able to provide for a family and your wife will run off with a guy with gold chains and a porsche and your kids will become gang bangers and sell weed to buy guns.  Fear.  Because if you don't you will never look successful and when you go back to your 25 year high school reunion everyone will see that your life has been a waste.  Fear.
• You've got to have good insurance.  Why?  Because if you don't then some medical tragedy will come and you will go bankrupt or not be able to afford the right doctors.  Fear.
• You've got to give as much as possible to a good retirement plan.  Why?  Because if you don't you will have to work your good paying, but miserable job, until you keel over at your desk.  Fear.  Because if you don't you won't be able to live your "golden years" driving the coast in your RV collecting various kinds of sea shells, rocks, stamps, ceramic cat figurines, etc.  Fear.  Because if you don't you will find yourself old and having to rely on other people.  Fear.

The padlock of fear has fastened itself to our churches as well:

• You've got to have strong programs in your church.  Why?  Because if you don't then people will be bored and think you don't care about them.  Fear.
• You've got to go easy on people from the pulpit, you can't expect too much of them.  Why?  Because if you don't go easy on them then they will leave and won't hear any good news at all.  Fear.
• You've got to drill your people from the pulpit.  Every week tell them how sinful they are.  In the words of Jonathan Edwards, "The pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive the wicked: the flames do now rage and glow. The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much in the same way as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect, abhors you and is dreadfully provoked..."  Why?  Because if you don't then people will think they can do whatever they want to.  Fear.
• You've got to kick bad people out of your church.  Why?  Because they will infect everyone else and people will think you accept and condone their behavior.  Fear.
• You've got to be careful what books you read, or what preachers you listen to.  Why?  Because people might think you agree with all that.  Fear.

A couple of passages come to mind:

• "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." - I John 4:18
• "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." - Jesus, John 10:10

The key to the fear padlock is love.  It is the love of the Father poured out on us His children.  It is the love of Jesus that caused Him to don a human skin in order to show us the way to the Father.  It is the love of Jesus that drove Him to willfully be hung on a cross for us.  It is the love of a triune God who chooses not to hold this against us but be eager to adopt us as sons and daughters, heirs of His Kingdom, and all that is required is to believe in Him, to place our confidence in Him, to allow Him to deal with the condition of our frail and broken humanity to experience His new life from above.  His abundant life from above.  Life filled with Him.  Life filled with relationship with Him.  Life filled with love.  Eternal life.

All fears have some base in reality.  All fears have some truth in them.  If they weren't even remotely possible then there would be nothing to fear.  But there is something greater than fear, love.  There is someone greater than fear, God.  We must not allow life to be imprisoned by a padlock of fear.  Embrace love, embrace God, trust Him for everything and experience His abundant life from above.