The first necessity for freedom is that there should be no fear--not only the fear imposed by society but also the psychological fear of insecurity. If there is ambition, if there is the struggle to be somebody, does that not entail fear? And does that not imply that he who is very successful is not truly free? So fear imposed by tradition, by the so-called responsibility of the edicts of society, or your own fear of death, of insecurity, of disease--all this prevents the true freedom of being, does it not? Freedom is not possible if there is any form of outward or inward compulsion which comes into being when there is the urge to conform to the pattern of society, or the pattern that you have created for yourself, as being good or not good. As long as the mind is seeking any form of security--and that is what most of us want--as long as the mind is seeking permanency in any form, there can be no freedom.
--J Krishnamurti, Poona 1953.
I heard it recently said that the motivating factor behind legalism is fear not love. Are we not asked to fear God? Or does that mean respect God? I find love to be more motivating than fear. Sure, fear works to motivate too but which should be fueling us? Is it wrong to use fear? Sometimes fear works better than love (e.g. children doing chores). There is also the reward system. Do you do things because you are free to do them, because you love doing them, because of the consequences if you don't, or because of what you will get out of it? What motivates you and do you feel free?
2 comments:
That quote is really interesting, but slightly troubling as well. I think security and permanency can align with freedom. True Christianity defines security differently than the world does. Security from God does not always mean safety from outside forces, but from spiritual, mental and emotional forces. My security is a peace of mind, even though my environment may be chaotic or dangerous. The permanency I seek is eternal life. Could there be anything more permanent?
I think that the "fear of the Lord" can be troubling because we often view God as love and only love. I've heard that Jews focus on the justice of God and Christians focus on His love while Muslims focus on His power. I think we sometimes forget to think of God holistically, because we're caught up in the idea that God is love. God is downright terrifying if you don't know Him. He knows everything about us and can literally harness all the power in the universe. That is pretty scary. But that is what's also amazing about God. He is omnipotent and forever just, but He still loves us and created a world with us in mind. Crazy...
Good post Tif! I really enjoyed thinking about it...
Freedom and fear cannot coexist. Fear can be an incarceration of the mind.
All are motivated by something. In this dichotomous blog there are only two motivating factors, fear and freedom. However the complexity of the argument furthers into motivation. Is it intrinsic or extrinsic? Does the fear that is surrounding you come from within? Is the freedom you pursue or enjoy simply a coincidence in circumstance? Does God motivate you from a fear that comes from within or are you fearful of what may happen apart from Him? Does God grant you the freedom to walk away or do you impose your freedom on God to do whatever want?
We are asked to make choices. Each day, hour, minute is a fork in the road. We find ourselves at a split and have to chose one side. But, what if both sides were wrong or both sides were right depending on motivation?
Close to the end of the story of Joseph we find him before his petrified brothers. They are sure that they will meet their end in moments. Years of guilt, shame, and lying have brought them down this slippery slope face to face with the greatest nightmare ever. Revenge is imminent. Joseph stands there with "every right" to bring things full circle. He is at a crossroads and will choose the fate of his brothers and his own motivation. This is where we find a powerful lesson. Joseph says, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." This challenges causality. This is what they deserve yet Joseph gets to choose. He tells them that even though evil was the intention, God was involved in the entire process all along. He chooses for God's intentions to be the final outcome. He chooses to be free from the pressure of fate, destination, and coincidence. If we can choose to allow God to be the motivating factor to our choices then we choose to fear Him and we choose freedom in Him. We choose to allow the results to benefit the ultimate plan of God. While evil may happen and the devil orchestrates death, we can choose the interpretation of each event in the cosmic battle. In either case it may be death but one leads to life and the other to nothingness.
What I do I am free to do. What I do I choose to do. I struggle with my true motivation. However, "I have nothing to fear for the future unless I forget how God has led in the past." I forget sometimes. I want to be free. Not free to wander but free to stay, go, live, love, learn, and choose. I don't know what lays ahead but I want to be able to say, "as I look back I can see that although intentions may have been skewed I choose now to see that all along God meant it for good."
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