Today's Devotional
March 24, 2008
Subject: Misusing My Free(dom)
Galatians 5:13 "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."
It's in our nature to take lightly those things for which we have not had to work for. I deal with this daily as I feed and clean out the stalls of my daughter's horses. Recently I started charging them money each time I have to do either chore. I realized that they aren't "invested" enough in the horses. I bought the horses for them and I clean up after them and feed them. They ride the horses. That's a misuse of something free.
I do the same thing with water at our house. Because we are on our own well, we don't have a water bill. Therefore I noticed that when I go in each morning to shave, I let the water run throughout the 4 minute shaving experience. I could turn it off and only use it for the 5 seconds it takes to rinse it out, but I don't. I think of the water as free, but there's always a cost somewhere for someone when we misuse that which is free.
God tells us not to misuse our freedom. Things might be okay according to our laws, but it can still be a misuse of our freedom. The new Governor of New York replacing the previously disgraced Governor, admitted to infidelity with his wife, but said to the country, I didn't break any laws.
That is clearly a reflection of what Paul was writing about in Galatians, using freedom or liberty as an occasion to the flesh.
Sometimes when we have paid nothing for our liberty, we misuse it. Just as I did with the water and just as my girls seem to do with their horses. So how do we fix it? We become more invested.
Christ paid for our freedom and you can invest more in Him today by serving others. Once you begin that exercise, you'll realize how much of what you thought was free, costs. We've simply got to realize that Christ paid it all.
Carlen
