Psalm 119:92 (CSB)
If your instruction had not been my delight, I would have died in my affliction.
What is true freedom?
Imagine if a fish one day decided it was sick and tired of all the water and said, “I'm done with all this water; I want to live on land now!” That would not be the best decision for the fish because we know it would only flop around, gasping for air. Is that true freedom? Or did the fish just sign its own death sentence?
God’s Design and Our Purpose
God designed fish for water. The fish thrives in water; water is its natural element. In the same way you were designed to live in God's Kingdom, every part of you was carefully put together by God with a Kingdom purpose in mind (Psalm 139:13–14; Eph. 2:10). Some people step back and look at the Kingdom of God and say, “Too many rules; I want to be independent and free to live my own life in my own way.” To believe that we are most free when we have no rules, no guidelines, and no Kingdom path to follow is just as delusional as the fish thinking it wants to be free from water.
The World’s Deception
The world, the flesh, and the devil are constantly trying to convince us that we need to escape the constraints of the Kingdom of God (1 Jn. 2:16). We must understand that these are not constraints; they're the very components that give us identity and purpose. When the fish regards water as a limitation, it no longer sees it as a life source. The same is true for us when we view the rules of the Kingdom as constraints.
When you live your life positioned in Christ Jesus, His will and His Word are your life source and where you feel most alive. That's when you transition from merely surviving to thriving! Kingdom rules are not about following a set of laws that make you right with God; they're about understanding your true identity and purpose. God created you for a relationship with Him: to love Him, to serve Him, and to glorify Him. And when you come into alignment with His Kingdom purpose, you're like a fish in water: completely living in your element, completely free.
The Father’s Loving Guidance
Now let's imagine that same fish flopping around on the shoreline, gasping for air and about to die, when a little 8-year-old girl with her dad comes along. The little girl's heart is filled with compassion for the dying fish. She says to her father, "Oh, daddy, look, the fish is about to die!" The father walks over to the fish and reaches down to grab him. The fish sees the huge monster of a man approaching him, and out of fear, he begins to flop and flail even more. As the father picks up the fish, the little fish extends its fins, trying to gouge the father’s hands.
But the father knows how to handle the fish, and despite its resistance, he gently places it back in the water. The little fish makes a final leap to escape the father's grasp and swim away. As the little fish swims away, it thinks to itself, “Wow, I got so lucky and escaped the monster’s grasp!”
Misconceptions of Freedom
So don't fall for the lie that freedom is found outside the Kingdom of God with no rules and no purpose. You must recognize that your heavenly Father is going to do everything He can to place you in the elements you're designed to spiritually thrive in. When you know the Father, you will recognize His hands, and you will not resist His gentle guidance.
From Surviving to Thriving
Maybe today, even as you're reading this, you're unintentionally fighting against your heavenly Father’s loving guidance. He only wants to place you back in your Kingdom habitat and align you with His Word and will. The desire of your Father is to place you exactly where you will not only survive but thrive in your Kingdom purpose. So be careful not to fight against your heavenly Father because those hands know what they're doing, even when you don't. It's important for you to keep in mind that in the Kingdom of God, you're not a slave to rules; you're a child of the King, living under His protection and provision.
Keep swimming, my friend. You're not a slave to a monster; you're a child of the King (Gal. 4:7). So what is true freedom? It’s a life lived in the abundance of grace found positioned in Christ Jesus, seeking first the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33). It's time to stop merely surviving and floundering on the banks of this world and start thriving as you swim in the living waters of your Kingdom purpose!