Permission Granted

Oh, foolish Galatians! What magician has cast an evil spell on you? For you used to see the meaning of Jesus Christ's death as clearly as though I had shown you a signboard with a picture of Christ dying on the cross. Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. For you have been called to live in freedom – not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. (Galatians 3:1,3; 5:1,13 NLV).

Many years ago when I was in the corps at Texas A & M, there was a very special phrase used to secure leave for the weekend. It was Permission Granted. Without those words stamped on our request for weekend leave, we simply were unable to leave the campus. Everyone looked forward to receiving those words stamped on our request! It was instant acceptance! And, all it took was those two words!

Isn't strange then how reluctant we are to give ourselves permission to do, to think, to say, to buy and enjoy, or to be different and not worry about who may say what? Even though our God has graciously granted us permission to be free, to have liberty, to break the chains of rigidity, and enjoy this life so much, many in His family seldom give themselves permission. So many use strange reasoning: I mean, after all, what would people say?" or "Well. I wasn't raised to enjoy life, I was taught to be more conservative, more reasonable, more responsible and serious than that." So goes the persuasion of an oversensitive conscience trained in the school of Negativism. Tragic, no, worse than that, it is not Scriptural!

This is what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote to the Christians in Galatia. God, in grace has purchased us from bondage. Christ has literally set us free. The Spirit of the Lord has provided long awaited liberty. Do you know your biggest hurdle? You. It is giving yourself permission, plain and simple. If you fail to press on while the light is green, you will spend so much of your life in the amber zone waiting for " just the right moment" or " a time when most people will understand" that you will find yourself on your deathbed surrounded by regrets. He did not create you to walk around being miserable with a frown on your face, a heart so surrounded by false legalistic rules and false submission that nothing can get through. What is worse nothing can get out. No genuine love, compassion, empathy or joy. So go ahead take off your socks and shoes. Run barefoot in the grass, through a stream. Be daring. I know this may be hard, don't feel guilty! Really step out, smile at a cashier tell them how grateful you are the line was so long, because you got to read the novel you were going to buy and now don't have to. And hand it to Him! (Just kidding!)

Seriously, be daring. Enjoy the life that God created you to enjoy and Jesus purchased for you. You are His beautiful creation, His child. You have been freed from the yoke of bondage, of slavery and you are His heirs. Go ahead. The light is not only green; the Light is Jesus Himself! He has given you your stamp: Permission Granted!