That’s not the way we all learned the saying, is it? Nobody says that things are free for the giving — we tell people that things are free for the taking.

But consider these words from Galatians as captured by The Message translation:

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. (‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:13‬ ‭MSG, emphasis mine)

We think of being free as having all constraint taken away so that we can do whatever we want. In reality, that understanding of freedom will eventually enslave us to all kinds of things. God’s plan is that we would live lives married by the freedom only He can give, and because a servant King gives it, it makes sense that His freedom would empower us to serve like Him.

Things may be free for the taking, but we’ve been set free for the giving. I’ll even go first. I’m so blessed by all of you who read my daily posts, either on my blog or in your inbox, and I’m kicking off the Thanksgiving week by saying THANK YOU! All you have to do is have the great folks at Dunkin’ scan that code below and your next cup of coffee is on me. Enjoy!

(It is pre-loaded and will eventually run out, so don’t wait!)

Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash

Dishwashers wash dishes.

Cars detect blind spots.

Bill Pay makes sure we aren’t late.

Each of these automatic features can make life easier, but none of them make me obsolete.

I have to load the dishes in the dishwasher.

I have to push the start button and drive the car.

I have to set up Bill Pay and make sure there is money in the account, which requires that I work.

Automatic isn’t as automatic as we’d like, and that’s a good thing.

Stay engaged, and refuse to sit back and just let things happen.

Some people love structure.

Some people don’t.

But all of us need it because a life without structure is like a body without bones.

Unhealthy. Unable to stand. Unlikely to move.

Set some boundaries for yourself and some expectations of yourself.

Live with those goals in mind and put a plan in place to accomplish them.

Healthy structures provide a framework without even being visible. After all, nobody actually wants to see the bones, but all of us want to know that they’re in place, strong, and functioning.