Take A Second Look At Freedom
Freedom is not the absence of restrictions. Freedom is the discipline to live within certain parameters that are essential for peace of mind and the enjoyment of the full pleasures of wisely selected options.
You would agree that if true freedom meant absence of restrictions, then nobody in the world would be considered free because everybody live under the law and laws are definitely forms of restrictions. Where there is no law there is no freedom. Where there is no boundary there is no peace. Free nations exist within geographical borders and it's citizens are governed by boundaries of rules and regulations that are essential for order and peaceful co-existence. Organizations operate within boundaries of specific products and services, core values, policies and procedures as well as government regulations and community requirement. Families exist within family boundaries and communities exist within community boundaries. Without the law, there would be no order and life would be chaotic. Think about it, would you and I be able to drive safely on our roads if there were no traffic rules and regulations? Freedom is gained and sustained by following prescribed rules and regulations that restrict the unwanted and safeguard the desired.
This principle of boundary-for-freedom is also true in health, finance and relationships. Wellness, as we know, has obvious requirements and those requirements are the boundaries within which everyone who desire wellness must live. You may choose to eat unripe pineapple, for instance but you won't be free to choose the consequences of the unripe fruit poison. The need to wait for the pineapple to ripen is the boundary within which the enjoyment of the pineapple fruit resides. If you choose to break through that boundary you get a bite of the fruit poison. You may choose to spend in one day all you have earned in one year plus what you hope to earn in the following year but if you choose to pursue freedom that way, you won't be free to escape the hurt of financial slavery. The need to live within your means is the boundary within which your freedom to choose wealth and escape poverty lies. It is important to always keep in mind that while we are free to break the boundary, we are not free to escape the bite. “…whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent” Ecclesiastes 10:8b.
Do you fight for freedom by resisting rules and regulations? I'm afraid you cannot find true freedom and peace of mind that way. In normal situations, boundaries and walls are intended primarily for the peace and tranquility of those residing within it and the restriction of enemies outside it. If you find yourself always fighting against rules, regulations and any form of legitimate restriction, ask yourself if you are a friend or enemy to your own peace of mind. Consider this: “Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you’re trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear. Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you’ll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage. But if you’re breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren’t there just to be admired in their uniforms”. Romans 13:1-4 MSG.
Be it nations, organizations, families, communities or individuals, living in freedom requires staying within set boundaries. Rules and regulations are protective boundaries against possible harm; not punitive measures against those for whom they are made. Real freedom is not the absence of boundaries and restrictions but the ability to choose what one desires and refuse what you don't desire. That ability is what we call discipline. The highest form of freedom is the discipline to live within certain parameters that are essential for peace of mind and the enjoyment of the full pleasures of wisely selected options. Freedom resides within walls. Without boundaries, there is no freedom.
