We've all seen it, the tightrope walker slowly making his way across the taught wire. It wasn't that long ago when Wallenda did his precarious walk across the Grand Canyon. Frankly, I didn't watch it. I can't go that long holding my breath as I am sure I would find it hard to breathe watching something like that. Of course I would breathe, but they would not be easy, relaxed breaths.
Think of the actual act of walking a tightrope. It would require years of practice balancing oneself on the thin wire. Special shoes are required along with a balance beam but those are the least of the required tools necessary for such a feat. Intense concentration is necessary as the feet, legs, body and arms all pour information into a brain that must not lapse into anything other than the cautious step by step progress across the wire. Again, years of practice is required to do such a thing.
Imagine now you are told you're next across the wire; it is required of you for some odd reason. Take a moment and think what would race through your mind if you were told you must do this. I've sat here a few moments with the cursor blinking at me trying to conjure up how this might feel. The panic I come up with is just the tip of the iceberg of responses I am sure I would have if faced with this requirement.
I recently heard this definition: SPIRITUAL FREEDOM = Walking the tightrope between license & legalism.
Again, I've let the cursor blink at me as I try to gather my thoughts, thoughts I've had off and on ever since hearing this. I am half tempted to just let this go and ask for responses from anyone who feels prompted to enter into a discussion regarding this statement.
My first gut reaction was to question the statement as being completely devoid of grace. I then started to entertain what living this way would look like. The precarious nature of this kind of life would require constant vigilance about each and every step I took. There would be no time for anything but the required vigilance if I am to enjoy this "freedom". Think of how incredibly narrow this freedom is. How does this kind of living look when laid alongside John 10:10 abundant life? I can't reconcile these two images and yet the abundant life is why Jesus came. If this is what following Jesus leads me to, then I must respond with, "Sorry, I will pass on this offer of 'life'," and look for something else.
Fortunately, I see something entirely different in the full work and ministry of Jesus. We are in Him and He is in us. For this to happen, something profound must occur in our hearts for this kind of abiding to occur. Paul tells us we are new creatures in Christ. I don't think it is understating it to put it this way, we are an entirely new species when we make the decision to let Him be our Lord. We are given a new heart. Our old, deceitful heart is changed and it becomes the dwelling place of His Spirit. Jesus told his followers He had to leave so that the Spirit would come and lead us into all truth, encourage us and be the Holy companion we will always have to live this abundant, full life. Without understanding this truth, the new heart, we are left to our own devices to figure this new life out and I can see how one might begin to think that we are led to a tightrope kind of existence.
I am also reminded of Jesus telling us the way is narrow and few will find it. This is true, to be sure, as He said we would be misunderstood and hated by this world for following Him. I believe that is what He meant by this being a narrow way, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me" is how He explained this narrow way. One thing I have noticed about this way is that it only seems narrow when I stand at the edge and look at the things I am asked to reject. If I turn away from the edge and look at the place He has placed me I find spaciousness and peace in the grace of His full forgiveness of my past, present and future failings.
In Psalm 18 David writes of God's rescue of him from a very bad situation, Death was encircling him and he was mired in a deep pit of despair. He called out to God and God mounted an incredible rescue operation culminating in God placing David in a spacious place of safety. This notion of freedom being a tightrope offers no space and no safety.
My stated reason for writing this blog is that I am a regular guy looking for transcendence in this ordinary life. I find no room for this "looking" if I am meant to walk a tightrope teetering between license and legalism. My entire focus would need to be on that impossibly narrow cord.
Thankfully we don't have to live this way. We are people of grace. This is a life of love we've entered into, loving God with our whole hearts, minds and strengths and when we fall in love with our Creator and believe we've been made new, we can then strike out on the journey He calls us into knowing we do not live under condemnation. Sin management is no longer the goal. Rather it is believing we are a new species that can and will hear His still small voice to guide us into all life and truth. Frankly, I am skipping down the spacious road He's giving me.
Hopefully any who read this will see this as well.
