Who does not like to be free? Who does not desire to do what they want to do? It is the power that many desire, the victory many seek after, but it seems some have it and are losing it without knowing.
In some cases, it looks like there is freedom until it gets exchanged willingly through a conscious choice. A young boy may be given liberty at home but loses it to unacceptable behaviour. He chose to use it in a way that robbed him of what he had. He only has the option of trying to gain it back again.
A person that robs another gets caught; from that point, something departs from him. He will have to follow the police to the station, attend court proceedings, may be put in jail, which comes with many other restrictions to his life. He was free but lost it to his choice.
A driver that decides to disobey traffic rules may get a fine. It means that he may need to attend court and pay for it if found guilty. He would not have chosen to spend his money that way, but his choice meant that he has to spend his hard-earned money on something he does not want. If he still had the power to choose, I would like to believe that he would use the money for something else.
An incident happened in London some years ago that attracted some onlookers. It was the sight of a limited edition Ferrari car—worth about half a million pounds—that got towed away. It got impounded by the police because it did not have a record of insurance. The driver was free to do what he wants with his car until his choice meant he had to watch it towed away. You can imagine the helplessness and loss of control at such times. The event will have immediate implications on him and possibly some longer-term inconvenience too.
A lady may decide to borrow more money from a bank to satisfy her wants and could not pay up as agreed—there arises a problem. She has freely given access to the bank, and they will begin to send her letters and reminders to ask for their money. She would probably receive calls and threats that would make her uncomfortable. She was free, but she made a choice that now has some unpleasant implications on her life.
A young man that decides to smoke may later experience health issues that reduce what he could do. He would not be able to do all that he wants as his choice has affected his life.
Someone that decides to eat uncontrollably may one day be told by a doctor what to do to stay alive. Such a person would not have the freedom but be limited to the recommended to help stay alive. It is no longer what they want, but others decide what they need. They have lost control, now have to be controlled.
A teenager left her home on a six-day trip to celebrate her birthday with friends but left her twenty-month-old daughter on her own—gradually starving to death. She returned after travelling over a hundred and fifty miles away from home to meet a lifeless baby. She now has to spend some of her life behind bars. It would not be what she hoped for, neither would it be considered a desirable experience. She was free to do what she desired, but some of her choices led to the withdrawal of her freedom.
There is an often neglected ally of freedom; they go together and get frustrated apart—it is responsibility. Responsibility without freedom is as frustrating as freedom without responsibility. How we use the liberty we have determines how long we stay free.
Everyone is free to make choices, but some lose freedom by their choices—they willingly let it go. It will be great if we can learn to manage the liberty we have through intentional living.
The kingdom lifestyle is a deliberate choice to live, making choices based on freedom coupled with a sense of responsibility. It is a choice to live intentionally because your decisions have implications not just for you but others as well. It is not just for now but also for the future.
You are free, but consider what you do and make choices with a sense of responsibility. You do not have to lose the freedom to understand the value of it. Many people have found themselves in unpleasant situations, but there is always a way out—if they seek help. You can choose to live and not to lose your liberty.
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