From Jerry Sittser and his book “The Will of God as a Way of Life:
Freedom as our culture defines it, allows us to do anything we want. Freedom as the New Testament defines it, however, allows us to become what God, our Creator and Redeemer wills. In rejecting the “freedom” of license and embracing biblical freedom we experience the true freedom of being children of God. Both artists and athletes understand the nature of true freedom. They give up their freedom to do whatever they want, subject themselves to strict discipline, and in the end gain the freedom to perform at the highest levels of artistic and athletic achievement. Loss of freedom actually leads to freedom. It is the freedom of obedience, gained by following a strict regimen of practice.
The famous Suzuki method, used to teach students how to play musical instruments, is founded on this principle. John, my youngest child began taking piano lessons two years ago. Before he started, he would occasionally sit down at the piano and pound on the keys. He enjoyed complete freedom but what he produced was a cacophony of sound, no music. To learn to make music, he has been placed under severe restraint—not always to his liking, as he is quick to tell me about once a week. His arms must be held just so, his wrists must bounce just right, His fingers must pluck the keys according to strict rhythm. It is slow, arduous work. before it is all over I estimate that he will play variations on “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” (From Jerry Sittser and his book “The Will of God as a way of Life”;he national anthem of the Suzuki method) thousands of times until both he and I are ready to go insane.
But over time such discipline will enable him to play beautiful music—if, that is, we make it that far. I am confident of the outcome because my daughter was required to follow the same method. Catherine resisted, just as John does. On many occasions I grew weary of making her practice and listening to her mistakes. Our home, I am ashamed to say, was not always the picture of harmony during those early years of lessons. But we persisted in spite of procrastination, protest, pressure, and conflict. Now Catherine’s days of “Twinkle” are long past. She has learned to discipline herself, and she plays Mozart, Debussy, Chopin and Beethoven with precision and feeling. She makes beautiful music, and I relish listening to it. As an accomplished musician, she has experienced the benefits of obedience and has found true freedom in playing with excellence. She has become accomplished.
Athletes learn the same lesson. To become competitive in a sport, they must learn to follow a regimen. My older son David has played soccer for years. We used to spend hours practicing in the front yard, and I coached his team for five years. At first I pretended to play hard when we squared off against each other, but I would usually let him win. Had I tried my hardest, I would have beaten him every time.
During those early years, he often missed the ball entirely when he tried to kick it hard. His dribbling made him look like he had two left feet. But he kept at it. Now he can juggle the ball with his feet as effortlessly as I can catch the ball with my hands. His passes and shots on the goal are crisp and accurate. In the great reversal that every mom and dad expects and longs for, David must now play far below his ability when we scrimmage each other in the front yard so that I have the chance to score a goal or two. I wish he were as merciful to me as I used to be to him! He has become a competitive soccer player. He makes the game look natural and easy. It was not natural and easy at first, but it became that way through obedience to a regimen of discipline.
The performance of artists and athletes seems effortless and seamless, fluid and natural, because they have developed complete self-mastery over their bodies. Great runners skim over the track as if they phantoms, virtuoso pianists play as if they were pouring water over the keys, polished writers use the words as if the words chose themselves. Runners, pianists, and writers preform at the highest levels only because they followed a routine of practice, developed self-discipline, and learned obedience. They found freedom by giving it up.
God calls us to follow that same pattern of obedience in ordinary life so that we can experience that same freedom. Rigor of obedience determines outcome in life, no matter what we do. Developing deep friendships, for example, will affect our decisions about courtship and marriage. If we fail to honor and cherish friends, we will be less likely to find a good marriage partner for ourselves, to say nothing about becoming a good marriage partner for someone else. Learning to study will ensure success in whatever profession we choose to pursue. If we fail to study, we will never achieve what we have dreamed of accomplishing.These disciplines are universally relevant, no matter where we live and what we do. Obedience is God’s will for our lives, and obedience leads to freedom. ~Jerry Sittser, The Will of God as a Way of Life (Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, 2000,2004) p.62-64
