A man watched a German shepherd across the street. The dog was chained to an old tree, and had worn the grass down to nothing but dirt the full radius of its chain. Why do they even have a dog? the man wondered. O sure, it had a dog dish of food and water, but never any kindness or attention from its owner. He needs to be free.
The man approached the dog. He was met with mild resistance, but the man talked softly as he let the dog sniff his hand while he stroked its matted fur. He reached his hand to the collar and unclipped the leash, and quietly walked away.
The next day ~
The man was astounded to see the unchained dog pacing in its usual area in the dirt. He shook his head. It doesn’t even know it’s been set free. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A person felt constant anxiety and headaches and had reached the point of desperation. The doctor prescribed a medication to ease the anxiety, and another prescription for pain. Soon the patient became dependent on pain meds and mood-altering drugs to survive another day.
A friend offered the drug addict an opportunity to be free from the drugs via natural measures, but after thinking about a frighting future of not having the meds, panic set in. Because of fear of the unknown, the addict chose to stay in the familiar world of drugs, albeit a world of darkness and certain death. You are chained by choice. Why would anyone choose to stay in bondage rather than to be set free? the friend wondered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An elderly person surveyed all the possessions in the garage, the pole barn, the basement and the entire house. The person had to move because of health reasons.”What about all my stuff?” the person protested. “You will have to sell it,” the daughter explained, gently. “No! That’s my security. I couldn’t and I won’t part with a single thing. Not one thing! Especially my cars.” “Your possessions cannot help you. You are ill, and you need assistance, or you will die under a mound of stuff,” the daughter said. “I don’t care! I’m not giving up my things!”
Why would anybody want to hang on to metal and wood at the risk of dying rather than selling it and getting the needed help? wondered the puzzled daughter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guilt and shame ravaged the person with unrelenting torment. “I’m no good. I don’t deserve to live,” the person lamented. A family member told the person about a way to find forgiveness. “There’s nothing that can take away my guilt,” the person wailed. “Except maybe death.”
“The only thing you said that is true is that NO THING can take away your guilt. What is not true is that death will bring you relief from your guilt,” the family member said. There may be NO THING to take away your guilt, but there is SOMEONE who can.” “I doubt that,” the person argued. “It’s true. His name is Jesus,” the family member continued.
Side Note: Jesus was the greatest parable storyteller in all history. Sometimes His disciples would say, “Tell us plainly.” And Jesus did. And so it is with the family member who said, “Jesus is the only Son of the Most High God who came to this earth to die for the sins of the world, including yours. Jesus gave us His righteousness, and God laid on Him the sins of us all. Jesus rose from the dead three days later. He took all our sin, our shame, our guilt on Himself.”
“Forgiveness is available by faith in Jesus Christ alone,” the family member continued. “God gave us His Word (Bible) so there’s no excuse for ignorance. There’s no fear that cannot be overcome, so there’s no rational for panic. No sin is too great so there’s no reason to despair. His gift of eternal life is so amazing there’s no logic in holding on to temporary materialistic stuff.” The person began to weep. “I believe.” “You are freed by faith!” the family member said.
And this, my friend, are four parables on being Chained by Choice – Freed by Faith.