God is not a buzz kill. He is not like a grumpy old man preventing everyone around Him from having fun. God wants us to be free from any chains. He wants us to dance, have fun, laugh and party. (Remember Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine at a party.)

But at the same time he knows some activities are dangerous. Like a parent preventing their children from playing in traffic or sticking things in electrical outlets. It’s not done because parents are buzz kills but because we want what is best and safe for our children.

God, the ultimate good Father, hates sin because He loves you. He wants to protect you from its destructive consequences. So when we mess up, as we all have, when we play in traffic or stick metal in an electrical outlet and the consequences leave us hurt and ashamed, our Father does not look at us and say, “I told you so.” No, He runs to us, tells us it’s going to be okay and then reminds us of who we are -righteous, holy, blameless, accepted, forgiven, loved.

So what does playing in traffic look like for the believer?

“And it is perfectly evident what the old nature does. It expresses itself in sexual immorality, impurity and indecency; involvement with the occult and with drugs; in feuding, fighting, becoming jealous and getting angry; in selfish ambition, factionalism, intrigue and envy; in drunkenness, orgies and things like these. I warn you now as I have warned you before: those who do such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God!

What does God’s playground look like?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.”
‭‭Galatians (Gal)‬ ‭5:19-23‬ ‭CJB‬‬

Remember, God’s love for you is the same whether you chose to play in traffic or His playground. But He is inviting you to find true freedom on His playground where there are no adverse consequences, no shame, no guilt, no regrets.

I’ve decided, I’m choosing God’s playground. How about you?