The Christian and Freedom

Ok, I have been totally blown away by Tim Keller's book The Reason for God. I believe that it is a must read for every person. It is thought provoking, God honoring, and seems to be written with great humility and passion for the Gospel.

I was reading the third chapter again this morning, in which Keller talks about what it really means to be "free." Let me share with you some of his thoughts. He shares that within our culture freedom is often defined as "the absence of limitations and contraints." But is that really freedom? The answer is NO!

He says, "Freedom, then, is not the absence of limitations and contraints but it is finding the right ones, those that fit our nature and liberate us." Keller gives a couple of illustrations of how "limitations and constraints" actually lead to freedom. For example, Keller writes, "If you have musical aptitude, you may give yourself to practice, practice, practice the piano for years. This is a restriction, a limit on your freedom. There are many other things you won't be able to do with the time you invest in practiciing. If you have the talent, however, the discipline and limitation will unleash your ability that would otherwise go untapped. What have you done? You've deliberatly lost your freedom to engage in some things in order to release yourself to a richer kind of freedom to accomplish other things."

Therefore we must ask ourselves, "What is the environment that liberates us if we confine ourselves to it, like water liberates a fish?" The answer that Keller suggests is LOVE! And he is absolutely right!

Keller writes, "One of the principles of love--either love for a friend or romantic love--is that you have to lose independence to attain greater intimacy. If you want "freedoms" of love--the fulfillment, security, sense of worth that it brings--you must limit your freedom in many ways. You cannot enter a deep relationship and still make unilateral decisions or allow your friend or lover no say in how you live your life. To experience the joy and freedom of love, you must give up your personal autonomy."

Let me share this last quote to wrap this up.
"When you fall deeply in love, you want to please the beloved. You don't wait for the person to ask you to do something for her. You eagerly research and learn every little thing that brings her pleasure. then you get it for her, even if it costs you money or great inconvenience. "Your wish is my command," you feel--and it doesn't feel oppressive at all. From the outside, bemused friends may think, "She's leading him around by the nose," but from the inside it feels like heaven.

For a Christian, it's the same with Jesus. The love of Christ constrains. Once you realize how Jesus changed for you and gave himself for you, you aren't afraid of giving up your freedom and therefore finding your freedom in him."

How does this hit you? How does this shape the way that you think about "freedom?" How does this impact the way you live your life?

WT