Ever since I was a little girl I've longed for only one thing, and that was to be free. My
ultimate goal in life was to get away from my parents. If only I could get away from my parents
I'd be free. Well, after 24 years of torture (I felt), I moved out of my parents house and
vindication was mine. I remember thinking to myself that I could finally be "happy." I
immediately befriended several "cool" people, which led to my frequenting numerous night
clubs, parties, and social gatherings in the city of Detroit. It didn't matter the place, if people were there, so was I. After being "out there" for about two years or so, I started to notice
something strange. Although all of my friends and I were having major fun all the time, we
were all still quite miserable in our lives. One friend had problems in her marriage, another
couldn't find the "right" job, and another had health issues.
Me And My Parents
English: Page 53 in Olney Hymns, the verses that w...
English: Under the title "New Britain", "Amazing G...My problem - although I was now
away from my parents, I was still seeking "freedom." This search continued for many years until
I found Christ.
There are at least two general factors which limit or define freedom. One we might call
the "rules of the game" and the other is "our nature." For example, a gymnast is able to pull off
the perfect standing back tuck (flip) because he knows the "rules of the game." In other words,
he knows the correct stance and form he should maintain to do so. He knows the exact position
his feet should be in, and just how straight his back should be when he stands. He might want
the "freedom" to relax immediately out of the flip, but he would never win a medal or trophy
that way. Similarly, as part of God's universe, we need to operate according to the rules of the
game in order to live right. He knows how life on earth is best lived, so the only way to have
peace and harmony in our lives for "real" is to live according to His will and design.
After I became saved, I immediately discovered why I had felt so empty and void inside,
and that's because the Lord made me and without Him in my life, I could/would never be happy
or free. It was amazing. The only way I can describe it is to quote a verse from the song
Amazing Grace where it says "I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see." I
stopped cursing, and drinking overnight and every negative action or snide remark I heard or
witnessed seemed to smack me in the face. Not to mention how vulgar people became.
Unfortunately, this is the type of world we live in. There is just as much nudity and
profanity on television than you will find in an R rated movie. I turned the radio on one day and
heard blatant cursing. I turned the TV on just two days ago and there was a show on MTV
where men were having blind dates with other men. Everywhere you turn there is some type of
vulgarity and the things/activities that are getting the most attention are non Christian type
activities. It is hard to live in western society without a good foundation and solid fellowship and
communion with other Christians. I wouldn't say it is impossible, but it is extremely hard.
I attribute the difficulty of upholding Christian morality in western society to the fact that
we are human beings with natural instincts that are hard for us to control.