Born Free: 16 Principles to Help You Be FreeSample

Principle 6: Only Cows Are Content

And now the sixth power principle to help you find freedom: The contentment of cows works only for cows. Or, in the words of John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation.”

People are always telling me that they “don’t feel peace” about something and that therefore they don’t believe it is God’s will. I have never felt peace about anything God has told me to do in my whole life! If peace, in the contented cow sense, were the measurement of whether I was in God’s will, I have never been in God’s will.

Many, many years ago, starting as a pastor, I decided I couldn’t play games anymore. I was going, to be honest with people about the nonsense. I remember in those early days I couldn’t sleep at night. I had bad dreams when I did sleep. Bad dreams of standing naked before the congregation. Or worse of standing before them in red-polka-dotted underwear. I decided I was going, to be honest . . . and it gave me no peace. There is a short-term asset to sin and a long-term liability. There is a short-term liability to righteousness and a long-term pay-off. If we got it all upfront, we would never sin and would always act righteously. If you are looking for short-term peace by being free, you are in for quite a shock. If you are looking for a long-term pay-off, you have come to the right place.

Let me tell you the rest of the story: While those early years of ministry were horrible in terms of peace, I can now feel comfortable with myself—because I have never tried to be something I’m not. And that is freedom.