Stay in the Yard!

Life has been a blur of late.  Between meetings, sermon/study preparation, and the fact that baseball is in full-swing in addition to daily duties and family stuff, time is certainly short!  And then things happen which make the day more interesting, like when Zed's bunny Oreo escaped from our back yard the other day!  As soon as I saw the hole under the fence, I knew finding that rabbit would be an act of God.  There is a large area of bush in front of our house, and greenery all around our neighborhood.  I prayed, "In the name of Jesus Christ, God help me to find that dumb bunny!"  You know what?  Within five minutes, I did!

After Laura helped me return the bunny to the confines of her cage, I thought about how dumb that bunny was.  We provide for all her needs, make sure she has good food and clean water, protection from danger, and a secure place to romp around.  Why would she potentially throw away her life by burrowing under the fence?  For what?  During the day, the bunnies like the freedom of being outside their cage.  They like to nibble on grass, hide behind bushes and under the BBQ, and kick up their heels in freedom.  But because Oreo dug her way out of the yard, for her protection she must stay in the cage unless she is under direct supervision.  As much as we want to let her run around, it simply isn't safe to do so because of her recently discovered burrowing skills.

When we repent and are born again through faith in Jesus Christ, Christians are released from the bondage of sin and death.  We have absolute freedom to serve the LORD and honor Him.  But sometimes, like Oreo, we can cross the bounds God has provided for our protection.  A good owner doesn't let his rabbits run off into the deadly bush if he can help it, even as a good shepherd is careful to monitor the wandering of his sheep.  A pasture doesn't always have clearly defined boundaries, and sometimes we wonder how far we can take liberty before we are in sin.  Liberty in Christ is good, but it must be handled prayerfully and responsibly.  Otherwise God will remove that liberty from us completely and perhaps even permanently because of our natural appetite to pursue it to our own destruction.

A personal example from my own life:  I love football, especially the NFL.  Since the age of 10, there is no game I love to watch or play more.  For many years, my schedule was dictated by the NFL.  I would go to the early Sunday service to watch the Charger's games.  Not only that, but in my late teens and early 20's my attitude and outlook (perhaps for hours or even a day) was directly affected positively or negatively (but usually negatively with those 4-12 seasons!) by the outcome of a game.  More and more of my time and metal energy began to be required.  In recent years I played Fantasy Football, joined pools at work, entered free competitions online picking winners and losers, and I watched all the games I could.  To put it simply, I burrowed under the fence.  I went overboard.  Last week I was in the cage, so to speak.  God led me to deny myself to watch even a single play.  God taught me a valuable lesson.  I must honor Him above even the freedoms He graciously grants.  If I abuse my freedoms, He is wise and right to take them from me so I might honor Him above all.

I'm blessed and privileged to serve a gracious, loving God who is full of compassion.  Instead of condemning me, He seeks to restore.  Use your freedoms wisely, and don't abuse them.  The conviction of transgression is a far heavier weight for our souls to bear than to deny yourself for the glory of God.  This is the mark of a disciple.  Matthew 16:24-26 reads, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"