Freedom and Restraint

Chuck Swindoll wisely notes that our job is to free people; God's job is to restrain them. He says God is doing his job much better than we are doing ours! His contention is that the vast majority of believers need to be freed, not restrained.

Institutional religion dislikes surprises or any "uncontrollable spirituality" that might threaten the status quo. Some who display a loud and boisterous faith have been politely asked to quiet down. Others who enjoy dancing their faith rather than sitting in the pew have been made to feel uncomfortable or asked to leave. Occasionally it has happened that someone will talk about their faith with unrestrained passion and then be met with expessions of concern about the inappropriateness of their emotions. A courageous soul allows others to see their brokenness, and they are reprimanded for being too open or "glorifying their sin."

But those of us who have heard the haunting sound of Jesus' voice and sensed life, hope, healing and adventure in the Gospel--we who are willing to speak up and question the deadness around us, to express our desire for life--we must not keep quiet, even if everyone around us tells us we are crazy! Those who are traveling in the predictability and safety of "the herd" will call those who are freed in their faith crazy and will try to silence us.

A blind man sits by the roadside begging when suddenly a growing crowd jostles past him and he hears that Jesus is coming his way. His heart begins to race. Jesus of Nazareth! This is the one they say can heal blindness! He gets to his feet and yells, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Luke 18:35-42).

Instantly the crowd shouts at the blind man, "shut up! Keep quiet!" Everyone around the man tries to silence him, to keep him from creating a scene, to keep him from "annoying" Jesus.

It is the nature of us human beings to silence those who interrupt our routine activities and understandings.

The late Mike Yaconelli wrote of speaking at a conference where he mentioned that a woman in his church whom he deeply respected and considered to be one of the most godly women he knew--"smokes and sometimes uses colorful language." After his presentation, he was made aware of a pastor in the audience who demanded that all of his church members attending the conference boycott Yaconelli's presentations.

After the conference, Mike contacted this pastor in an effort to understand why he had become so upset. The pastor heatedly responded: "How dare you tell the audience that one of the most godly women you know smokes and uses the language of the world?"

In his spiritual world, there is absolutely no place for smoking, swearing, godly women. He didn't want to hear otherwise. No exceptions.

Yaconelli wrote: "In the real world where I live, this woman is not an exception and remains one of the most godly women I know."

Perhaps you're asking: "Doesn't freedom and liberty have its limits?" Shouldn't we learn to restrain our freedom and be able to hold ourselves in check? The answer is a clear "yes." Grace can be abused. We never want to exercise our liberty without wisdom or loving concern for how our choices might offend, wound or discourage others--or be destructive to ourself.

Limitations are appropriate and necessary, but Scripture does not counsel us to restrain one another. To force or "legislate" restraint on someone else is us trying to do God's work. This is legalism.

The best restraint is self-restraint that is our response to the inner nudges of the Holy Spirit in our individual life.

Our job as followers of Jesus Christ is to free people; God's job is to restrain them!

"If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36).

With blessings and Love,

Duff