Freedom

July 4, 2012

Some of the unhappiest people I know are those with the most freedom. They have flexible work schedules, time on their hands, money to spend, and very few commitments. They can sleep in and stay up as late as they want, they can put in their eight hours of work in one block or split it up into two or three blocks during the day, and they can eat their meals when they get hungry. They theoretically have time to play games, read books, work in the yard, and enjoy other hobbies. And they often have the financial resources to support these hobbies. It would seem like these people would be the happiest people – free to live their lives as they choose. And yet, in my experience, they are often surprisingly unhappy.

This morning in my devotion I read the following: “In the conduct of one’s own life it is soon obvious, as many have learned the hard way, that empty freedom is a snare and a delusion. In following what comes naturally or easily, life simply ends in confusion, and in consequent disaster. Without the discipline of time, we spoil the next day the night before, and without the discipline of prayer, we are likely to end by having practically no experience of the divine-human encounter.”[1]

Without the discipline of time, we spoil the next day the night before. We become slaves to time, believing we have all the time in the world and then running out of time. Our lack of discipline can leave us scrambling, feeling trapped by our lives. While it may seem incongruous, and even contradictory, true freedom comes through discipline.

The person who gets her work done early has the freedom to accept a last minute invitation to spend time with friends. The person who trains rigorously as an athlete has the freedom and the endurance to strive for greater goals and achieve greater success. The person who plans ahead may seem to have no freedom – and yet, in being proactive instead of reactive a person can find great freedom and flexibility.

Of course, there is a flip side to this. Some people have such packed schedules that they become slaves to busy-ness, finding no freedom in their lives. I was struck by a recent comment: “I don’t have time for church.”  I asked, “Do you have time to pray?” “Well sometimes... when I’m in the car driving.” This person is unhappy. This person is enslaved by his ordering of time. This person knows no freedom.

True freedom comes through discipline.  Of course, I’m a Methodist – and we Methodists believe in discipline (even if we don’t always practice it). Following daily patterns and forming regular habits may sound oppressive and confining, but the truth is discipline leads to true freedom. By ordering the hours of the day with the things that must get done there is space for spontaneity, time for reflection, and the opportunity to work towards a greater goal. In the daily patterns of starting each morning with prayer and exercise and ending the day reading scripture there is great freedom. These simple habits open up a space for encountering God – a space to form deep friendships – a space to know true freedom.

And on those days where discipline goes out the window – well, on those days it is not unusual that we somehow manage to spoil the next day the night before. But each day is a new day – a chance to start again. Each new day gives us the perfect opportunity to strive for a disciplined life. Each day is a new chance to experience grace and forgiveness; a new chance to encounter the perfect freedom found in Jesus Christ.

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[1] Reuben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer (Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1983), 226. (From Elton Trueblood’s The New Man for Our Time).