I've been a musician for over thirty years. I can't tell you how
many times I've spoken to people who have appreciated my playing and mentioned
with some envy that they wished they could step up to an instrument and play
whatever they wanted. In the course of such conversations I was surprised to
find it isn't uncommon that they had taken music lessons as a child but the
drudgery of practice soon overcame them. Sometimes they would tell me that they
felt tied down or burdened to practice while their friends were outside playing.
They wanted to be free from practicing.
This concept of freedom is a childish
one. To assume that freedom means one may spend his or her minutes on whatever
does not feel like work is confused. The man who spent years practicing at the
piano is more free than those who chose to avoid the hours of practice. He has
more choices now available to him. He can choose to play a song if he desires
while they cannot. By seeking to free themselves from the responsibility the
instrument requires, they actually made themselves less free.
The Childishness of Modern Demands for Freedom
That childish concept of freedom seems to dominate our modern culture. Last
year, The Guardian ran an article citing three separate studies demonstrating
that "the days are over when children wanted to grow up to be astronauts or
policemen or firemen. Now they want to be actors, singers or YouTube
personalities."
1 That reverses previous findings
where being accepted as part of a group or community were prized as top goals
while fame was listed near the bottom.
Certainly, the always-on perspective
of social media plays a part here, but I don't think it's the entire story.
Modern technology has given us many benefits and as a result we assume that we
can make bad choices and still get everything we want. In an article for the
Wall Street Journal, author Sarah Richards
brags about how she spent nearly $50,000 to freeze her eggs so that she can
some day in the future have the children she so desires.
2
I've
written previously about how more and more people view children as an
accessory to their lives instead of a sacred trust of continuing community and
culture. The concept of having it all without consequence is bringing forth some
real consequences indeed, not the least of which is for the children of these
insta-parents.
Christians Shouldn't be Afraid of Study
Christians are not immune to this kind of thinking. Evangelicals value life
and place a high value on family and passing on their beliefs. However, most
Christians in the pew are more like the fleeing music pupil than the practicing
mater when it comes to matters of theology and apologetics. Sure, they attend
Sunday morning and perhaps even mid-week services. Some even have a daily
devotion time where they will read their Bibles and seek God's leading. All of
this is great, but how many Christians are putting in the time to study the
details of their faith? How many can defend their beliefs against the challenges
offered by the secular world? How many can even demonstrate a fundamental belief
like the Trinity using only their Bibles as support?
I understand that the
idea of doing "school work" in one's devotion time may seem like drudgery. In
fact, my experience has been the opposite. In working through a systematic
theology book or an intellectually rigorous question, I have found that my
studies draw out character traits of God I would have never otherwise uncovered.
I learn new things about him, his greatness, and just how boundless his love for
us is. I am actually more free in my worship of God as I discover new things
about him. So, don't be afraid to go deep, dear Christian. You may find the work
of study much more freeing than you believe.
References
