My Testimony

[New Beginnings]

Originally Posted by aron

Paul said, "Am I not free?" We can repeat this: men, women, blacks, whites, Barbarians, Scythians. Gentiles and Jews. Chinese. Dockworkers. Mulattos. Free. We are free. If we make distinctions today, and impose new conventions in a misguided attempt to find order and structure in a world of flux, to me this says that we don't trust the Spirit, but rather desire the freedom of a cage, and the peacefulness of a museum display case. No noise, no dust, no motion, no change, no bothersome uncertainty. No need to turn to the Spirit except what cereal to have for breakfast. Other than that, it's all figured out ("interpreted") by Big Brother.

Uncertainty is a difficult thing to deal with. I have been looking back on my teen years that led up to my current hostage situation. I left home when I was 16, being the rebellious, freedom-seeking sort. Those years where full of uncertainty, fear and pain. However, I learned, grew, changed, and matured. But coming into the LC was initially very comforting. Submitting to the authority and letting it control all my actions, thoughts and feeling enabled me to let go of that uncertainty. However, without uncertainty, I began to become numb to pain. Don’t worry, Be happy, right?

Pain is an important sensation that exists for the purpose of survival. For example, my two year old son comes into the kitchen and touches the hot burner. He instantly feels pain and learns that he should not touch that or he will be damaged. If I were to lay my hand on that burner and call on the Lord three times while leaving my hand there, would my hand not suffer damage? Pain is a signal that there needs to be a change.

Freedom always comes with some amount of uncertainty. So don’t ignore your pain. It is there for a reason. If something feels wrong, it probably is wrong.

I don’t believe that Christ ignored his pain while suffering on the cross. He willingly accepted the burden of suffering for the freedom of all mankind, whom he deeply loved.