Freedom: The Concept Of Willing Restraint

Introduction:

Welcome my friend,

I know it might sound cliché, but it’s great to be back here with you for another weekend together.

How have you been doing?

Indeed, my goal in dropping by is to share words that lift your spirits or spur you on, whichever you need at this time.

Hopefully, by the end of our conversation, we’ll both feel more energized and ready to tackle the rest of our weekend's tasks with fresh enthusiasm and clarity.

Now, let’s dive into the day’s business.

Discussion:

“If you're old enough to do it, you're old enough not to” is a familiar saying that we've probably come across.

Here, freedom is portrayed as a duty entrusted to those capable of using it wisely.

Which implies that it's earned by proving we can handle privileges or opportunities responsibly; without abusing them.

This is why it's important that we understand how we can achieve this freedom.

■ What This Freedom Isn't 

A classic example of someone craving freedom is a teenager who feels stifled by their parents’ rules.

Often, we equate freedom with the ability to act without restraint, believing we’re in control and shouldn’t answer to anyone.

Yet, this view misses the true essence of freedom and can hinder our path to achieving it.

As adults discover, shedding those teenage limitations also means facing the outcomes of their choices.

This accountability is the responsibility that accompanies greater freedom.

■ Misusing Our Freedom 

If freedom translates to more license it also means more power.

No one wants to be oppressed, but it's easy to become the oppressor when roles reverse.

If we have the power to dominate, we also have the resources to uplift, if we choose to.

Here, having felt powerless against injustice, our drive to rise should focus on advocating for others, not mirroring the behaviors we once condemned.

This requires deliberate effort, as it’s easy to fall into old patterns.

Wherever a culture of oppression exists, it’s because people have shirked the responsibility to challenge it.

It’s because they’ve accepted that “this is just how things are.”

This may seem less significant on a societal level, like in corporations or institutions, but when we zoom in on the family, we see it clearly.

Many unhealed parents, once oppressed by their own parents, repeat the cycle with their children, believing this is what freedom allows.

Often, they genuinely don’t know how to break the pattern.

Alternatively, this can manifest as parents avoiding discipline altogether, granting their children more freedom than they’re ready to handle.

Here, what happened is a simple mutation of the same trauma and in both cases the results are unpleasant.

■ Working Our Way To Freedom 

To rise to a position of influence requires discipline and excellence because others will only let you lead if they're convinced by your competence.

Yet discipline is all about restraint.

It's about summoning the resolve to prioritize our objectives over fleeting emotions, willingly shedding habits that derail our path.

This is how we work our way up.

Here, through the challenges we face in this process, we build a solid foundation that keeps us anchored, preventing us from being swept away by the power and freedom of our new position.

When society elevates individuals with questionable character into positions of prominence, they often misuse this authority.

This negatively shapes the younger generation, who misinterpret such reckless behavior as freedom.

This is how we’ve fostered a morally compromised society, one that prioritizes “doing what feels good” without considering the impacts of such on themselves or others.

So which voices are we amplifying as a society?

■ Giving Up Our Freedom 

When two individuals enter a relationship, they relinquish certain freedoms in their behavior to make it work.

Yet they choose this willingly, because they feel the connection is worth it.

For a relationship to thrive, both parties must make compromises as part of the sacrifices required to be together.

Here, the needs of the partnership take precedence over individual desires, while still respecting each person's comfort.

This balance defines compatibility.

Until we are ready to selflessly commit and surrender to another, creating a meaningful bond with someone else will remain a challenge.

■ The Ultimate Freedom

As believers, we are saved by grace, meaning God freely forgives our sins through our faith in Him.

However, this does not grant us the freedom to persist in sinful behavior.

God embodies both love and justice.

This love ensures He does not hold our sins against us, while His justice leads Him to discipline us for our actions.

This is how He balances it out.

Living in sin reflects an immature, infant-like or teenage-level spiritual growth, which may cause God to withhold certain blessings from us, since we lack the maturity to steward them responsibly.

Summary:

True freedom is found in surrendering our lives to serve others, fulfilling our purpose through these acts.

Discipline shields us from the fallout of reckless actions, allowing us to progress in life rather than spending our time fixing past errors.

As we conclude our conversation, I hope some parts of it resonated with you in a way that our stay here was worth your time.

See you next week.

Master Apprentice.

www.x.com/truekingmaker