Outside the Fence

Several years ago I read about an experiment that was conducted on a group of small school children when the administration decided to remove the fence that surrounded their playground area. Under normal circumstances, the children would play anywhere their hearts desired within the fenced boundaries. They enjoyed themselves immensely as they would run back and forth throughout the yard without any worries or concerns. But with the sudden removal of the fence came a sudden change in the children's behavior. Instead of their usual care free attitude, now all the children began to hover toward the center of the playground. No longer did they feel comfortable running throughout the playground as they had before, but now they were extremely fearful about utilizing the very space they once had occupied so freely.

In this particular experiment, in the eyes of the children, the fence represented their safety. There are many who believe that the boundaries that have been placed upon us by society in the form of laws, serve to rob us of our freedom and happiness. But as this experiment so powerfully demonstrated, laws aren't designed to "rob" us of our freedom, but rather to protect it. In essence, these laws constitute the fence that has been placed around our behavior so that everyone's freedom and happiness can be preserved and protected.

 
In giving us His law, God has provided mankind with a fence, not as a means to confine and rob us of our happiness, but instead as a way to demonstrate how we can live a much happier life. It is when we refuse to remain behind the fence and choose to step outside of these boundaries that we place our happiness as well as the happiness of others in jeopardy. We are reminded in the Proverbs that "happy is he who keeps the law." As God's children, let's remain determined in our hearts to stay behind the wall of God's protection so that we can enjoy the freedoms that He has reserved for all of His children.

Charles A. Tapp
Senior Pastor

 

 

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