The Whole Cake

For all the times I said, ”I can’t wait to move out and be free from my parents,” I wish I could write a letter to 12-year-old me and send it back through time.

Early on, as a newly-free adult I bought the entire cake and ate it. Here’s a running diary of my experience:

• 6:40 pm: I am eating the cake and I am so excited.
• 6:43 pm: Best day ever. I can’t believe my parents never let me do this.
• 6:47 pm: There is more cake than I imagined.
• 6:52 pm: I now see why my parents never let me do this.
• 7:12 pm: I regret this decision. My stomach aches.

I took freedom to mean I could do whatever I wanted, whenever and however I wanted to do it. Even though that is true, there is so much more that goes along with it. Choosing the right way to live your freedom is what being free is all about. The consequences of your actions play a huge role.

In today’s world, people like soldiers, firemen, and police officers give their lives so others can be free. But freedom is not free, and it is not to be taken lightly. You can have freedom in Christ, but it will cost you your entire life. It already cost Jesus His life, so we should treat it with respect and honor.

Honor God today by using your freedom the right way and displaying His love to someone else. Don’t keep the whole cake for yourself.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your son to pay the ultimate price for our freedom. Thank you for reminding me of others who have also paid that price. Help me to have a heart of gratitude. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Go Deeper — Make a list of three things that Jesus set you free from that no longer hold you captive. Meditate on that and thank Him for setting you free, and then ask Him how you can help someone else become free today.