The question hit the target square on; my problem is the target was myself and will be you at some point!
“As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn’t have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you’re proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.” (Romans 6.20)
The conversation, I know it is hard to believe, was not one of an accuser hitting a guilty one. I have taking the liberty of paraphrasing because the comments closely followed Paul’s letter to the Roman church. Our conversation was one where they challenged me to see my past for what it really is, hoping that I will push towards a future of living with purpose. My hurdle was and is in dealing with the fact that I actually agreed with the conversation! It is one thing to talk about something, especially if one agrees with the specifics and the conclusion. It is something completely different to actually deal with the issues and challenges of living life to the full!
I do not believe either of us can escape the blunt question facing us each morning. When and how are we truly free to live life to the max? Given our experiences and experiments in the past, are we willing to be honest with ourselves? What are we willing to give up to pursue real freedom and life? What is it that we hold more precious?
You and I are in the same small boat. We live in different circumstances with unique pressure points and pending failures, yet at the basic level we face the same questions. I know you share my confidence in a God who cares, love unconditionally, and is interested in you and I personally. We know this even when we forget or find it difficult to realize in the heat of the moment.
The question is tough; God is even tougher!
