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. Galatians 5:13 (TM)

Wendy and I went to the play see Huck Finn at the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre a few weeks ago. It brought back a great story that I hadn’t heard in a long time as Huck and his mother’s slave, Jim, make their way up the Mississippi on a raft. They are trying to get Jim to freedom in the North. The show made me think a lot about freedom.

I believe we take freedom for granted – just like linoleum. While on a mission in the Philippines I was ushered into the straw hut of a woman who was my host for lunch. She was so excited to show me the scrap of linoleum that was stretched across her hut. It was dirty and had been pulled out of a garbage dump somewhere but it was new to her and it covered her floor. She hadn’t known anything but a dirt floor her entire life. She was excited and proud, and I rejoiced with her. When I returned home, I had a new perspective and appreciation for linoleum.

Freedom is a precious thing, and it’s easy to take it for granted. It’s tempting, over time, to mistake our freedom for license – to do what we want, when we please, with whomever we please. Instead, God intends that our freedom – contained by our love of Christ – will unleash us to love graciously, actively, extravagantly.