When my daughter was around 8 years old, she wanted to go along with me to a women’s meeting where I was the main speaker. She wore her new white dress and came prepared with her little notebook and pen to take notes. I could not have been prouder.

The restaurant where we met served a buffet-style dinner with a smorgasbord of delicious desserts. The combination of being a bit preoccupied with my upcoming message and wanting it to be a special night for my daughter, caused me to be more relaxed than usual with what she was eating and how much. I’m guessing it was somewhere around a fifth helping of chocolate mousse that she told me her stomach hurt. She seemed miserable, so I led her from the banquet room to the bathroom. Right as we reached the door, disaster struck. All those helpings of chocolate mousse came flying across the bathroom floor and on her once white dress.

I realized that had I been more watchful and given her some limits, the whole mess would not have happened. She was too young to handle unlimited chocolate mousse. She suffered the consequences of too much freedom.

Paul warned the Galatians that their freedom in Christ did not mean they could do whatever they wanted. Not if they hoped to walk in the Spirit. God gives us freedom but sets fences around that freedom to protect us from ourselves as well as each other. If I had limited the chocolate mousse to no more than two helpings, it would have resulted in a much more pleasant night for all of us.

So let’s use our freedom wisely. Let’s not resist the limits God provides and discover true freedom.

Lord, forgive me when I misuse my freedom and buck against your limits. Please help me walk in the Spirit and not give in to desires that cause harm to myself and others.

Throughout the Day: Think about the freedoms God has given you and the limits to those freedoms. Thank Him for providing each boundary.



Tags: Daily Devotional Galatians 5
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