Must I stay on the balance beam to remain on God’s gracious side? Can I be a friend of God without watching my step? Is it possible to walk within the realm of God’s grace while cutting corners?

In weaker moments, I may wonder if I overstepped my God boundaries. Why would I doubt my security?

A dimension of being human is doubt. I suspect it is a God inbred compass to help me navigate life.   It’s not bad to question from time to time if I am still on God’s trail or have I pulled my machete from its cover to cut my own direction.

I want to live a life of freedom.

It dawns upon me the word freedom can be a wonderful synonym for security.  Born in the land of the brave and free, I quickly picked up on the freedom idea. My parents created a home with solid boundaries and extreme freedom. I learned it to be a good way to live.

Freedom paints a picture of sunshine, sea, mountains, and exploration. I like the freedom idea. To be able to go where I want and do what I want is my kind of life—then there is responsibility.

The New Testament describes my life as being free while being a slave to Jesus. How about that for an oxymoron. Unlike earlier years of USA history I cannot claim to be a free slave in the sense that I no longer am owned. I am a slave owned by Jesus who chooses to let me live as a free man as long as I ascribe ownership to him.

Only I can nullify the slave papers. It is as easy as declaring He no longer owns me. That would be a bad move. In fact, the only way I can continue to enjoy freedom to the fullest is to remain owned by Jesus.

This is not a relationship built on cutting corners. Jesus promised to be with me and live in me. I promised to follow Him. Since I am man, I make mistakes. He knows I make mistakes. We agreed on that long ago.

This is how I would describe living free; I am free to live each day without worry. All truth is from God. I can spend a portion of time mining as deep as I desire knowing there will always be a new discovery. All good comes from God. Each day I have freedom to do good anytime I desire. God made planet earth for me to enjoy. I will not feel guilty when I sit by a lake or explore a new city. I am free to be the hands of Jesus. With my antenna extended, a day never passes without assisting a fellow traveler.

Working with and for Jesus who purchased me as His slave—I could never experience greater freedom.

Stay tuned. Gary J. Sorrells