Three Things That Make Me More Free Than You

I've learned that there are three things one needs in order to experience total freedom in this life. I'd like to share them with you.

The first thing is Jesus. This seems obvious to me, but it's not obvious to everyone out there. I don't want this to get all preachy. You can get that elsewhere online or even on this blog. So, I'll just touch on the subject. You can't possibly be free without knowing that once your life here has ended there's something better waiting for you. More than that, though, is knowing that you won't be punished for all the dumb crap you did while you were alive. That's not an excuse to do dumb crap. It's just nice to know that eternal damnation isn't waiting for you when you die because of that dumb crap.

The next two things are far less obvious to most people, especially Christians, and are the two things I want to focus on here.

I'll continue with realizing you are no better than the worst person to ever grace Earth with his presence. This is a lot easier to do if you have the first thing down, which is why it puzzles me that more Christians don't get this. Think of the worst person you can think of. Being a Jew, my go to terrible person is Adolf Hitler. He killed lots of Jews, like, more Jews (as well as other peoples, I'm sure) than I could even begin to count. Anyway, this might sound weird to most of you, but, we're no better than he was.

*GASP!* What?! Did he just compare me to Hitler?! How dare he!

Hold up, peoples. I'm actually not the one who said it. James 2:10 says, "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." That's pretty serious stuff. If I break any one part of the law, it's like I broke every part of the law. I've actually told this to people before and they look me like I just kicked them in the testicles, and some of those people didn't even have testicles. They think it's awful that I, or God, would say they're no better than Hitler. They're completely missing how freeing this is.

Think about it. If you're no better than Hitler, the standard for how you should behave is pretty low. Again, this isn't an excuse to open up your own line of custom gas chambers. It does mean that when you screw up, even royally, no one should have expected any different. When someone wrongs you, you can more easily forgive them, because they're dirty, rotten sinners. Of course they wronged you. Why wouldn't they? Realizing this is so liberating. I don't know how anyone survives trying to live up to some standard that they will never ever reach.

The next thing, and this goes hand in hand with the other, is realizing that it does not matter one bit what anyone else thinks of you. I can say and do whatever I like and it doesn't matter if you don't like it. I can tell you exactly what I think about some political issue or a doctrinal issue and not care one bit if you don't like it. In fact, I'm going to try it right now, just because it makes me feel so free and awesome when I do so.

The Obama administration is a disaster.

Abortion is murder.

Homosexuality is a sin.

iOS is an fantastic example of lazy design.

Cats are only slightly more useful than a sober Kanye West.

I just offended 5 groups of people (unless they've taken my advice and don't care what I think), and I don't care. It's not my problem. If you think the direction our country is headed is a good one, I think you're wrong and probably an idiot. You probably think I'm a racist and should be shot. I don't care!

There are only three opinions of me that matter to me: God's, my wife's, and my own. To be fair, my wife's opinion of me matters only a little. If God's happy with me and I can look myself in the mirror without throwing up, I'm good. And it feels awesome.

If I ever get to be interviewed by Piers Morgan, I'll tell him that homosexuality is a sin, he'll take to twitter and raise up a mob of twits, and I'll make the rounds on the morning show circuit, not to apologize like some people who care way to much have done, but to say it again, and again, and again. If you don't like it, I know a guy with a short pier you can take long walk off of. This is my worldview. I don't care what you think of it. I would like for you to agree with me, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it if you decide to call me a homophobe (which, lets be honest, isn't even the proper use of that combination of prefix and suffix).

Let me reiterate that none of these things are to be used as excuses to just go out and be a giant pain in the ass for the sake of being a pain in the ass (Oh! Here's an excellent example. Some of you read the word "ass" and about fell out of your chair, and I don't care!). Use your liberation from caring what others think of you responsibly. Jesus still expects us to be on our best behavior. Not caring what others think of you doesn't mean you randomly point at people and call them names, even if you really do think that about them. What I want you to take from this is that you shouldn't fear speaking your mind. Ideas and opinions are how innovations are born. Ideas and opinions are how positive change is found. Don't hold it all in just becasue someone might not like it. That's their problem, not yours.

Besides, Jesus didn't give flying piece of crap if you're offended by what He says and the message He brought us. If the most powerful being in existence doesn't care what you think of Him, why should I care what you think of me?