COSTLY FREE – February 28, 2022
It might be a little strange to be talking about your favorite Christmas gift on the last day of February, but this continues to be a pleasant memory for me now almost 65 days later. Thus, I share.
My favorite Christmas gift of 2021 could not be bought. It cost nothing. It was free, and yet it meant so much to me; had meaning; caused laughter; delighted by soul; it even gave me a good abdominal workout. What was it you may wonder.
My college freshman son benched pressed me. Yes, he got on the floor and lifted me up as I lay horizontal – perpendicular to him so his hands were placed in a somewhat equidistant position on my upper back and coccyx area, and lifted me up into the air like I was a pillow. I had to flex so that my body would not be floppy. It was an amusement park ride for a cautious woman who doesn’t muster the bravery of such things. I couldn’t believe he could do it, but it was easy for him. I laughed the whole time. I couldn’t even speak. Everyone loved it. The whole family laughed. My strong son gave me the time of my life while everyone else had a great time, because “mom” had a great time. It was free yet so meaningful; now a treasured memory, from a strong son.
However, as I pondered this “free gift”, I realized it wasn’t free at all. There was a lot of hard, diligent work that went into and still goes into his ability, his strong muscles. There were a lot of years going to the gym, sweating and huffing and puffing, and now this continues to maintain the strength. It wasn’t free at all. It cost something. The cost was his hard work. The cost is still his hard work, done because he chooses to do it.
Other things appear free but actually aren’t.
Maybe you get a free lunch; someone else somewhere paid for it.
Maybe you “buy one get one free”; it still cost something, maybe a manufacturer’s or a store owner’s cost.
Maybe you have a free plane ticket – frequent flyer miles; you flew a lot to get to that point and paid for the other tickets.
Maybe you have freedom in your country as we do in the United States; someone else fought for that freedom.
I think you get the picture here. Nothing is actually free. It is somewhat like the first law of thermodynamics: “energy in a system remains constant”. In other words, it can’t be created or destroyed. It doesn’t just appear. It transferred from some other source; somewhat like the free gift; the cost and the “free” of it seem to remain constant. You can’t create “free” because someone else somewhere paid the “cost”; it transferred somewhat like energy. The potential became the kinetic or the kinetic became the potential.
My son’s hard work turned into my best Christmas gift. His strength transferred into my laughter. My laughter transferred into the whole family’s enjoyment. The whole thing transferred into a pleasant memory; now into words on a blog page as well as a thought in someone else’s mind; maybe even an inspiration for someone to start lifting. Possibly, my movement to appreciate transfers to someone else getting a fitness trainer; my kinetic into the potential of someone else.
Other things aren’t free either. I am reminded today again that peace isn’t free. The Apostle Paul instructed us “if at all possible, live at peace with all men”. To be obedient to a life worthy of Christ we are supposed to follow this. It takes a choice and a diligent, humble effort, too. It takes a willingness to bear your soul to others to be honest about a situation that might be difficult, that they might not want to discuss, but that you know needs to be addressed so that peace is maintained and offenses cease. It takes the energy to express, “Hey, I’m sorry.” OR “Hey, I feel this…but I know you didn’t mean it.” It takes the energy to risk rejection. Ooo…that stings.
I did this today; I sought peace as I feared trouble and wanted to avoid more trouble. I humbled myself and made myself vulnerable. It cost me a lot, at least in my heart; I felt the cost of the burden. It was painful, and it was even more painful because the result was not the peace I wanted; the result was rejection from a callous heart or what I viewed was rejection and what I felt was rejection; maybe it was just more misunderstanding. I’m not angry, just sad, just craving for peace. I am waiting for that peace, but I don’t regret that I was honest and that my goal was peace. I was willing to forfeit the cost of vulnerability and humility with honesty for the freedom that peace brings. It will come. God will make it so because He is the author of peace. He is in constant motion; He can make my kinetic effort continue the energy of peace even if it is only potential right now. My effort has potential; I will not doubt this. I will bench press this truth to heaven: He is faithful; He has called us to peace; He is able. Nothing is too hard for the Lord.
We often talk about salvation being a free gift. You already know it wasn’t free. It cost a lot. It cost God Himself leaving His throne of glory and coming down to earth in the form of a man, enduring the suffering, the shame, the mockery, the rejection and the cross with a crown of thorns on His head, yet the whole time continuing to pay with love and a gentle and lowly heart of forgiveness and understanding. Truly, it was not free for Him. To us, yes. To Him, no.
We are so eager to obtain something that is free even driving to get it or giving out our personal information for it. Why in the world would we hesitate to accept the free gift “to us” from God. We just have to say, “Yes, Lord. I receive it.” Why would anyone hesitate?
Don’t hesitate to accept what God has for you, whether it is salvation, direction, challenges, instruction, forgiveness, love, peace, hardship, healing, laughter… even a bench press. Take the free gift He has for you because it cost Him everything and still does.
Just like my son continues to work out so that he is able to “bench press” his mom and handle weightier matters, the Lord continues His work. He began a good work in all of us and will be faithful to complete it. Accept the work He does at no cost to you. Let the potential continue with what is free. The Author of Peace created it this way.
It is a “costly free”.
What a great message here. So much truth to it!