My son, Jesse, is an avid gym (workout) enthusiast. He wanted me to make choices to get up and go to the gym. I said that I didn’t think the timing was right. That led to some discussion about the definition and nature of freedom.

In the 60s and 70s a spirit of rebellion swept through the United States. This embraced a definition of freedom something like this:

“I am free to do or not do whatever. To have to do or not do a thing is an infringement upon my freedom. I may do as I wish regardless of any motive or reason I choose. No internal or external pressure shall supersede my sole discretion to do or not do whatever I want, whenever I want. My freedom permits me to be answerable to no one, or anyone as I choose.”

That definition has, in varying degrees, seeped into our culture as the default concept of freedom.

I said to Jesse that his discipline to go to the gym and workout regularly, to act against the thoughts of pain, the disruption of schedule, the temptation to comfort and/or laziness, actually produces a higher degree of freedom than is common.

By reigning in and intentionally and methodically exercising his body, he is free to work, to play, to exert his machine/body at a high, efficient, and extended level.

I, on the other hand, had a different outcome. While exercising my ‘freedom’ to do what I dang well pleased, I had satisfied my principle at my body’s expense. My body was so degraded that I could not play or work hard and efficiently, for long. I could use barely a tenth of my grand machine's capacity to help others or myself.

There are so many parallels and applications to our ‘freedom in Christ’ here, no?