The following is a devotion from my message series 10 Steps to Freedom. I hope these devotionals help you experience lasting freedom in Jesus!

STEP EIGHT: day 2          

Establish guardrails to protect your freedom

In Matthew 5, Jesus is preaching through what’s known as the Sermon on the Mount, and tucked in the middle of it is some explosive language that has confounded Christians for 2000 years.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matthew 5:27-30

No one wants to think about gouging out eyes or cutting off arms, so what is Jesus talking about here? Jesus is employing hyperbole (strategic exaggeration) to illustrate the need for guardrails. Gouging out eyes and cutting off arms seems extreme to most and those are extreme actions, but it symbolizes the extent to which we should go to protect ourselves from sin. If your struggle is with alcohol, for instance, cutting off your arm might be refuse to go anywhere or attend any event where alcohol is served. That’s your guardrail. If your struggle is with internet pornography, for instance, gouging out your eye might be removing the wifi from your house and trading in your smart phone. That’s your guardrail. Jesus knew our need for guardrails.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. What’s the biggest issue that you’ve been struggling with, the issue that’s kept you from freedom for too long?
2. What are some guardrails that other people who’ve struggled with this issue have erected in their lives to protect themselves from serious harm or relapse? These guardrails may seem extreme but they serve a purpose.

You can read other devotional entries for 10 Steps to Freedom here.