My neighbour has an interesting fence: it's invisible!
What good would such a fence do?
Well she used to swear that it was the best thing invented for her dog. A wire,
hidden in the ground, carried a signal transmitted to a small electrical device
attached to the collar of her dog. If the dog came near the invisible fence, it
would hear a warning beep. If it continued on its trajectory, it would be zapped
by a small electrical pulse.
I'm sure glad I don't have to wear one of those!
But it's true that if the dog stays within the boundaries of her
designated kingdom, she remains not only free, but
also "zap free"! Utter freedom within the margins!
But our dog's neighbour has always
been looking to the
other side of the invisible fence. To her (It was a female dog, that's where the
grass was greener and where she was sure she would find freedom. She was sure
that's where she belonged. At times I saw her turn completely green with envy.
Not a pretty picture for a dog! Ah!
Then one day the dog started to experiment with her invisible fence and she
discovered that if she ran fast enough, the electrical discharge was brief at
best, and certainly nothing to worry about. One day she decided to visit the
other side of the fence for good. She ran across the line, and then she
continued to run ... Right out in front of a car! Gone was the freedom she so
much anticipated. She hadn't realized that the invisible fence was there so that
she could be truly free, protecting her for anything
that would potentially steal away that freedom.
Are we any better?
"It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure
that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and
destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love;
that's how freedom grows." (Gal 5:13 The Message)
"You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of
so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance,
and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the
freedom never quits." (Rom 6:16 The Message)
God has given a fence to us as well, and just like the dog's invisible fence, it
is also there for our benefit and protection. It is called God`s Law. It is
found in the Bible and its Author will gladly lead anyone to a full
understanding of it. It isn't there to hinder us, it's there so that we can
truly enjoy utter freedom in Christ.
The freedom proclaimed by the world is not freedom at all. How can we call
addictions freedom? It messes us up inside and makes us feel horrible most of
the time! The only true freedom is the one Jesus provides, one destined to help
us know and enjoy our Lord and Saviour, and one where we can discover a passion
for others as well!
It sure looks tempting the other side of the fence. But remember, looks can be
so deceiving!
Zap.
Ouch!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.