Trading Legalism for Liberty
Have you ever had the thought, “Why in the world am I doing this?” Yes, if we are truthful, we all have been in these humbling situations. As we see in Luke 15, there can be a Prodigal Son (or daughter) moment of “coming to our senses” in which our pain strips away our illusions and we realize we are in a “pigpen”—exhausting ourselves by continually wrestling with our sinful passions.
Paradoxically, we can also come to these moments when we realize that we are like the older pharisaical son—drowning in our self-righteousness and pride. This sobering realization came to me as I was lying in my bed with walking pneumonia that had “sidelined” me for two-and-a half months. Prior to my illness, I had an unrelenting and rigid routine of prayer, running, walking, and picking up trash that took a considerable length of time every day. Rain or shine, hot or cold, summer or winter, tired or sleep deprived, irrespective of how busy I was, I adhered to the schedule. As I was doing my exhausting daily routine, I took solace that I was sacrificing for the Lord.
My illness shattered my illusion of control as I could not exercise outdoors. Initially I was frustrated and resented the interruption and prayed earnestly for a rapid healing, which did not come. As I got more irritated, the anxiety became higher until one morning I realized that my exasperation was a product of several factors. First, my pharisaical perfectionism and works-based mindset, and secondly, the residual influence of my obsessive-compulsive disorder. Wow, the lightbulb went on: you can dress up and camouflage your pigsty pride and fear—imagining it is a lamb offering to God!
I recognized that I can still do prayer-walking/running and community service, but in moderation. This realization freed me in the same way as the disciples set at liberty the gentile converts in Acts 15 from the burdens of adopting all 613 of the Jewish Old Testament laws including circumcision. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements: You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. (Acts 15:28-29, NLT).
As Jesus said in John 8:36, whom the Son sets free is free indeed! Jesus has liberated me to follow the leading of the Lord in other areas of my life, hence, a better focus on “God’s best” versus my “good.” Sadly, it often takes the painful “what-am-I-doing” moments to shatter our illusions and confess our true motives. As Scripture states in 1 Corinthians 13, unless obedience and agape love is the foundation of good works, they profit us nothing.
Heavenly Father, please give us the strength and power through the Holy Spirit to see the deepest and darkest recesses of our hearts to uncover the true motives of every thought and behavior, especially how we serve You in our spiritual disciplines. We confess and repent over the self-righteous “works of the law” areas of our lives that deceive and enslave us. Help us to realize the freedom of Matthew 11:28 as Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” To God be the glory!
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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
