Do They Know They Are Free?
On a rainy day while during our vacation at the beach we decided to tour the area and visit some of the shops on the island. While the ladies were checking out the dresses and the tee shirts I sat outside watching three very colorful birds perched on swings and limbs of a tree in a courtyard outside the shops. These were no ordinary birds. They were intelligent. When children waved they spoke. When people said “Hello” they said “Hello.” They spoke any number of conversational words and could recite on cue ... or when they were in the mood.
It was quite interesting! Children were astonished and amazed.
Grownups where humored and entertained.
However, as I sat there watching the birds , the thought occurred to me, “Why don’t these beautiful birds fly away?” “What keeps them sitting here on the perch?” “Is it the audience they attract?” “Is it the seeds that are readily available to them?” “Have they been trained in such a way that they do not want to fly away?” “Have they forgotten how to fly?” “Or, have they accepted fact that although they were created to fly, they cannot or should not fly?”
The birds reminded me of people who have learned, been trained, or been brainwashed to accept life at a level that is much lower than they were created to enjoy.
Paul addressed when he wrote: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. “(Galatians 5:1, NIV)
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free but so often we choose to live in bondage, or we settle for a life in prison. Are we afraid to fly? Are we convinced that staying on the perch is safer, more comfortable, or where we belong? Have we been frightened into thinking that if we get off our perch something bad will happen: we will get hurt, we will get lost, or we will not find the nourishment we need? Why? Why do we settle for the superficial entertainment of strangers when we could be experiencing the freedom that Christ planned for us?
I know very little about birds, so there is probably a very logical explanation for why these birds choose to sit on a perch and entertain strangers instead of soaring through the air. But, I cannot understand why as God’s creations we choose to settle for life on perch. Surely He had something more planned for us.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. “
On a rainy day while during our vacation at the beach we decided to tour the area and visit some of the shops on the island. While the ladies were checking out the dresses and the tee shirts I sat outside watching three very colorful birds perched on swings and limbs of a tree in a courtyard outside the shops. These were no ordinary birds. They were intelligent. When children waved they spoke. When people said “Hello” they said “Hello.” They spoke any number of conversational words and could recite on cue ... or when they were in the mood.
It was quite interesting! Children were astonished and amazed.
Grownups where humored and entertained.
However, as I sat there watching the birds , the thought occurred to me, “Why don’t these beautiful birds fly away?” “What keeps them sitting here on the perch?” “Is it the audience they attract?” “Is it the seeds that are readily available to them?” “Have they been trained in such a way that they do not want to fly away?” “Have they forgotten how to fly?” “Or, have they accepted fact that although they were created to fly, they cannot or should not fly?”
The birds reminded me of people who have learned, been trained, or been brainwashed to accept life at a level that is much lower than they were created to enjoy.
Paul addressed when he wrote: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. “(Galatians 5:1, NIV)
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free but so often we choose to live in bondage, or we settle for a life in prison. Are we afraid to fly? Are we convinced that staying on the perch is safer, more comfortable, or where we belong? Have we been frightened into thinking that if we get off our perch something bad will happen: we will get hurt, we will get lost, or we will not find the nourishment we need? Why? Why do we settle for the superficial entertainment of strangers when we could be experiencing the freedom that Christ planned for us?
I know very little about birds, so there is probably a very logical explanation for why these birds choose to sit on a perch and entertain strangers instead of soaring through the air. But, I cannot understand why as God’s creations we choose to settle for life on perch. Surely He had something more planned for us.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. “
