The Playground and Safety Net of God’s Ways

The backyard doodle gave me a visual and a framework for understanding the freedom we have in Christ. A story I heard about an elementary school without a fence in the playground likewise taught me what healthy boundaries are and how those boundaries afford true freedom in Christ.

Schoolyard

An accidental case study showed that without the comfort and safety of boundaries in the schoolyard, children felt afraid and huddle together near the building. But when they put a fence around the school playground, the kids ran wild and free within that border.

This is true in our lives too.

Fences and Refuge

Without the commandments and discipline of the Lord like a fence around our lives, some turn to fear to substitute for boundaries (but this is constricting, oppressive, and does a number on our nervous systems and physical/mental health.)

Others, without the safe boundaries of God’s commandments, turn to complete anarchy and chaos in their lives. Chaos and rebellion always produce endorphins, and most people mistake that rush for the sensation of freedom. However, that rush is just a counterfeit for the true feeling of freedom.

True freedom is abiding peace and exhilarating joy. It’s not a lust or a rush. True freedom is a comfort and a safety net. It’s not without boundaries. When we live within the boundaries of God’s ways, we have nothing to fear, we have no consequences to worry about, and we have no need and no desire to create chaos or run in rebellion.

This is why we can hide in Christ. This is how God is our Refuge and Fortress. When we stay in bounds of God’s commandments, we can relax and enjoy our freedom. God’s ways are always better. They produce better fruit. They lead to abundant life. God’s ways satisfy and fulfill.

Out of Bounds

We leave God’s boundaries in a couple ways…

1. We believe a lie that takes us out of His boundaries.

For example, if we believe the lie that God has abandon us and nobody cares about us, then it doesn’t matter how many times God shows up for us or how many people come to care for us… we will still only find proof of that false belief. That we’re abandoned and no one cares.

2. We sin and step out of the protection of God’s boundaries.

All the commandments in the Bible are not kill-joys. They are actually in place to protect joy. And sin is the quickest way to step outside of that protection.

The enemy is not very creative. He defaults to two major tactics. He tries to get us out of God’s refuge in two main ways or he convinces us to believe a lie or he convinces us to sin. This is why we need to guard our thought life because the enemy can rob our peace and joy just by getting us to believe a lie. Guarding our thought life is also crucial because all sin starts with believing a lie. As evidenced in the garden when Eve was convinced of the lie that God was holding out on her and then what followed was the disobedience.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 

James 1:13-15

Seek the Lord:

Close your eyes for just a moment and let your heart get still. Ask the Lord to help you imagine yourself as a kid in that school yard. What do you see? What do you hear? Then ask, what do you need to feel protected? What do you need to experience true freedom?

I did this exercise and was surprised at what the Lord showed me. It’s always good to take a moment with the Lord and ask Him to show us what we need to see in a situation. Well worth your next few minutes.