Living Limit Free!

Driving down the road the other day I encountered this speed sign. It was blank. I stopped and actually took this picture. It got me thinking, what limits us with our relationship with God? 

What keeps us from going full speed toward Him? 

For me, it was arrogance. A prideful belief that I was who I am and no one could change me. Take me or leave me, I am who I am and I am: an independent woman who knows my rights, who stands up for myself because the world was always trying to dump on me. That arrogance had me going toe to toe with believers and non-believers alike. No cashier at Wal-Mart was safe from my indignation, no praise and worship leader, no preacher safe from my wrath.

If I saw a wrong, if I was angry, if I felt threatened or intimidated, I immediately puffed up like an adder and struck. The vile poison I spread was strife and I did it so well I did not even realize the problem was me. 

I got offended if anyone tried to correct me and I certainly did not walk in love. I used the word of God as an arsenal to fire excuses and claim “freedom in Christ” as the basis for my right to be who I was and who I was stank! 

1 Peter 2:16-18 (NLT) says: For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king. 

I would say “I am free in Christ” but I was letting old, ingrown, inbred habits and attitudes to shape my life and hold me back from what real freedom is. 

Real freedom in Christ is this: the ability and the joy in serving and loving your neighbors as yourself and loving God with your whole heart, mind and body.

So how do we shake off the “old man” that sin nature that spews poison into our lives and the lives of those around us and live in real freedom with no limits? 

1. Get in the Right Lane!

The first step is to move out of the wrong lane, the “me” lane, and get in the G.O.D. lane. Like the H.O.V. (high occupancy vehicles) lane on a highway the G.O.D. lane is for anyone to use if the conditions are met. 

When you stop taking control or dominion over your life and Give Over Dominion to GOD, then you are in the G.O.D. lane. How do you give over dominion? You repent. Turn from what you were doing, ask for forgiveness, and move forward in a new direction. Get in the Right Lane! 

2. Surrender Your License.

A license is a piece of paper that says you have been given the freedom to do something. Until now, your “license” has been used to drive your own life: to steer your own destiny. Give it up. Hand it over to the ultimate authority and let someone else drive you. (Yes, I am going to say it, and I apologize ahead of time) Let Jesus take the wheel. Not like the popular hit song, but really yield and surrender to God’s will and direction for your life. 

When we surrender, we now receive a new license. Not one to drive our own lives with, but one that grants exceptional freedom to trust. No matter how fast life is, trust that if you are surrendered, God has you on the right lane, at the right speed, and heading in the right direction. 

3. Enjoy the Ride!

I have always loved a good road trip. The freedom of an open road, the challenge of reading the map and enjoying the back roads when you are forced to take a detour are all appealing to me. Yet, a road trip by yourself is no fun. There is something indelibly necessary to a good road trip: a traveling partner.

Talking with someone, laughing, crying, arguing, and laughing again is part of the experience. God doesn’t want to be your limo driver, He doesn’t want to be your taxi driver, He wants to be on the ride with you. When God is driving, we can relax in the seat and really get to know Him. He is right there. Ask Him anything. He is right there, tell Him anything. Turn on the radio and lift up some praises to Him.

When God is driving, you can stick your smelly feet up on the dash, let one rip and He will still love you. He will still want to be on the trip with you. He wants you to enjoy the ride.

Now, when you see a road sign that has no speed limit, you can know that is meant for you. Let it remind you that God wants you to live a life with no limits.

My pride kept me from living limit free, what is stopping you?