Read: Eph 5:15-19"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." – Colossians 3: 16
It is a proven fact that money, fame, looks, success, and people do not make anyone happy. These things give a semblance of freedom, but come with their own handcuffs of discontent. The graveyards are full of people who died unhappily, even though they had one or more of these commonly considered guarantees to a happy life.
The debate of the ages pivots on the conflict between morality and dissipation. Some believe there is no freedom in the face of morality. Others contend that the only true freedom comes within the safe parameters of moral boundaries. We need not live a life of sin in order to be free. In John 8:34-37 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (NIV)
Sin makes us subservient to itself; and there is no freedom in slavery. Immorality is only enjoyable for a time. The dividends of sin come in the form of ill health, addiction, unmanageable circumstances, jail terms, broken relationships, poverty and eventually a death without peace. Jesus said in Luke 21:34 "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close in on you unexpectedly like a trap.” NIV
There are many verses of advice in the Bible concerning freedom. Paul gives wise counsel on how to live in Eph 5:15-19 “Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” NIV
Our goal in life is to be led by God’s Spirit, and to do only the things which He directs us to do by His Holy Spirit. Henry Blackabe in Experiencing God puts it this way, "Find out what God is doing, and then join Him." This is what we call “walking in the Spirit,” "walking in the here and now," and "being present in the moment."
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are not only our brother, but also our very best friend. You sustain us, encourage us, exhort us, and develop us more fully than any human relationship, because You live within us. Eternal life is something that we can enjoy every day! Make this fact real to us a little more each day. Thought for the Day:
As we take no thought for tomorrow, we can fully enjoy the moment in which we are abiding.