Recently in prayer, the Lord began to show me something that, as usual, seems so simple and yet is so deep. It's often very hard to put into words what God is showing you...because as soon as it leaves your mouth, you think, 'that sounds way too simple!' Yet, this Kingdom way is the way of child like faith and simple trust. It really isn't nearly as complicated as we've packaged it to be.
What God showed me the other day is the picture of me in a wide open field. I've seen this picture before, but this time when I was praying my heart was heavy. I'd had a hard day and had been with someone who spoke negatively for an excessive amount of time. A lot of the conversation was directed towards the obvious problems and negative situations that effect the organized church. Personally, I do my best not to focus on the problems in the church...I try my best not to focus on what's NOT happening and to focus on what IS happening...even if I have to look for it somewhere else (it's a great part of the Psalm 17:3 challenge! To look for blessing and to speak it out!) Well, I was weary from the conversation and needed to get into his presence. When I finally did, my heart was breaking. All I could do was pray in the Spirit and cry out for freedom...and I'm not really sure why. So, there I was in my bedroom, tears streaming down my face as I sought for some kind of freedom that I didn't really understand, when I saw this picture of a wide open field. The Lord then spoke to me, 'Desiree, freedom is so much bigger than you realize.' In that moment, the Lord began to download sweet revelation and conviction regarding freedom. I'll try my best to relay what I'm still chewing on.
Christ himself told us, 'if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8:36).' We are also told in scripture, 'it is for freedom you have been set free (Galatians 5:1).' The freedom we have been given in Christ is much bigger than we know; truly it is a wide open space. There is no fence. If there is a fence in this field, then it is not freedom. If there is a boundary, then am I not held back? Yet how often do we, like the Galatia church, put up fences in the very name of freedom? Let's say I consider myself free in worship. But suddenly, the person next to me is worshipping in a little more 'excess' than I am...what is my reaction? Heck, let's say that person comes in with bells tied to their ankles, pom-poms in their hands, a flashing neon hat that says I Love Jesus in blinding green light, and is twirling around madly like a whirling dervish. How do I respond? Do I go to that person and put up a fence in my offense saying, 'this is not allowed' because it's too showy, too radical, not 'biblical'? This is what the Lord was showing me the other day and I had to repent. I have no right to judge another mans freedom. None. This is the very thing Paul was battling for in his young churches. Sure, he told Galatia not to use their freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Absolutely. Don't boast 'I'm free! I have no boundaries!' and run out and kill someone in the name of freedom! Sure! that's bad! But how about putting it closer to home- Do not use the freedom we've been given to 'bite and devour' one another (Gal. 5:13-16). Oh, how many times to people use their freedom in Christ as a means to criticize each other's freedom?!
I believe a lot of this stems from our need to be in control of situations. Sure. But I believe it goes beyond that. For one, we don't want to be challenged to move out further or to move outside of the fences we've put around ourselves to define our own freedom. I mean, your freedom may challenge my freedom...so it's best just to call YOUR freedom 'out of line.' Secondly, we fear people's opinions. Oh, how we do. I can't step out in further in this field of grace because you may judge me. Third, we have exalted ORDER. Order has become such a cop out in church. What we call 'order' is actually control. Paul told the Corinthians to have order in the church. Yeah. I can see that he would need to. They were celebrating sexual immorality as a form of godly freedom; they were meeting together for 'communion' only to scarf down the whole loaf and bottle for themselves, leaving hungry people starving; they were suing each other in court; they were dividing themselves according to certain peoples teachings, forming camps of divisive doctrine. It is after addressing all of these situations that Paul says, 'okay people....you need LOVE operating in your midst (1 Cor 13). Your goal in church should be to build each other up (1 Cor 14).' THAT'S a HUGE purpose of 1 Cor 14! The ORDER in church that is needed is to NOT BE SELFISH...BUT TO HONOR ONE ANOTHER'S FREEDOM, and to come together IN ORDER to BUILD ONE ANOTHER UP. Our goal in church is not controlling the Spirit or the spirit inside each other - it is to allow the Freedom of the Spirit and the freedom of the spirit to increase.
As long as we feel justified in our fence building, we will never walk in the fullness of the Spirit. Sure, there is a tension between anarchy and freedom. But Paul addressed this in Galatians 5 - 'walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.' If we are walking in the power of the Spirit we will not get into anarchy. It really is that simple. This does not mean that people won't make mistakes or that immaturity won't lead to some problems, but are we really that afraid of problems? Are we not equipped with the very wisdom and mind of Christ to deal with issues of freedom as they arise? The freedom we've been given in Christ is truly so much more than we realize. There is so much more room to run and play. I think God is waiting for some people who will take risks to go further. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to run in these open fields and find out all I've been missing.
What God showed me the other day is the picture of me in a wide open field. I've seen this picture before, but this time when I was praying my heart was heavy. I'd had a hard day and had been with someone who spoke negatively for an excessive amount of time. A lot of the conversation was directed towards the obvious problems and negative situations that effect the organized church. Personally, I do my best not to focus on the problems in the church...I try my best not to focus on what's NOT happening and to focus on what IS happening...even if I have to look for it somewhere else (it's a great part of the Psalm 17:3 challenge! To look for blessing and to speak it out!) Well, I was weary from the conversation and needed to get into his presence. When I finally did, my heart was breaking. All I could do was pray in the Spirit and cry out for freedom...and I'm not really sure why. So, there I was in my bedroom, tears streaming down my face as I sought for some kind of freedom that I didn't really understand, when I saw this picture of a wide open field. The Lord then spoke to me, 'Desiree, freedom is so much bigger than you realize.' In that moment, the Lord began to download sweet revelation and conviction regarding freedom. I'll try my best to relay what I'm still chewing on.
Christ himself told us, 'if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8:36).' We are also told in scripture, 'it is for freedom you have been set free (Galatians 5:1).' The freedom we have been given in Christ is much bigger than we know; truly it is a wide open space. There is no fence. If there is a fence in this field, then it is not freedom. If there is a boundary, then am I not held back? Yet how often do we, like the Galatia church, put up fences in the very name of freedom? Let's say I consider myself free in worship. But suddenly, the person next to me is worshipping in a little more 'excess' than I am...what is my reaction? Heck, let's say that person comes in with bells tied to their ankles, pom-poms in their hands, a flashing neon hat that says I Love Jesus in blinding green light, and is twirling around madly like a whirling dervish. How do I respond? Do I go to that person and put up a fence in my offense saying, 'this is not allowed' because it's too showy, too radical, not 'biblical'? This is what the Lord was showing me the other day and I had to repent. I have no right to judge another mans freedom. None. This is the very thing Paul was battling for in his young churches. Sure, he told Galatia not to use their freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Absolutely. Don't boast 'I'm free! I have no boundaries!' and run out and kill someone in the name of freedom! Sure! that's bad! But how about putting it closer to home- Do not use the freedom we've been given to 'bite and devour' one another (Gal. 5:13-16). Oh, how many times to people use their freedom in Christ as a means to criticize each other's freedom?!
I believe a lot of this stems from our need to be in control of situations. Sure. But I believe it goes beyond that. For one, we don't want to be challenged to move out further or to move outside of the fences we've put around ourselves to define our own freedom. I mean, your freedom may challenge my freedom...so it's best just to call YOUR freedom 'out of line.' Secondly, we fear people's opinions. Oh, how we do. I can't step out in further in this field of grace because you may judge me. Third, we have exalted ORDER. Order has become such a cop out in church. What we call 'order' is actually control. Paul told the Corinthians to have order in the church. Yeah. I can see that he would need to. They were celebrating sexual immorality as a form of godly freedom; they were meeting together for 'communion' only to scarf down the whole loaf and bottle for themselves, leaving hungry people starving; they were suing each other in court; they were dividing themselves according to certain peoples teachings, forming camps of divisive doctrine. It is after addressing all of these situations that Paul says, 'okay people....you need LOVE operating in your midst (1 Cor 13). Your goal in church should be to build each other up (1 Cor 14).' THAT'S a HUGE purpose of 1 Cor 14! The ORDER in church that is needed is to NOT BE SELFISH...BUT TO HONOR ONE ANOTHER'S FREEDOM, and to come together IN ORDER to BUILD ONE ANOTHER UP. Our goal in church is not controlling the Spirit or the spirit inside each other - it is to allow the Freedom of the Spirit and the freedom of the spirit to increase.
As long as we feel justified in our fence building, we will never walk in the fullness of the Spirit. Sure, there is a tension between anarchy and freedom. But Paul addressed this in Galatians 5 - 'walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.' If we are walking in the power of the Spirit we will not get into anarchy. It really is that simple. This does not mean that people won't make mistakes or that immaturity won't lead to some problems, but are we really that afraid of problems? Are we not equipped with the very wisdom and mind of Christ to deal with issues of freedom as they arise? The freedom we've been given in Christ is truly so much more than we realize. There is so much more room to run and play. I think God is waiting for some people who will take risks to go further. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to run in these open fields and find out all I've been missing.
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