It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows (Galatians 5:13 MSG).

I was 19 when I got my first car. It was actually a gift, and she came with a name: Gerta.

Gerta was a 1992 Ford Festiva in cherry red, and she was given to me at the perfect time. I was old enough to recognize the selflessness of the giver, I was responsible enough to insure it and get regular oil changes, and I had three years of driving experience already under my belt.

Having also just made it through high school and my first semester of college without a car, I certainly appreciated the gift of freedom having my own wheels was! 

At the age of 16 I was also given a car, which was a generous gift…but also one I wasn’t completely ready for.

The (unnamed) car came to me in need of some repairs. I didn’t have the resources or the know-how nor the motivation to go about fixing them, so the car sat in my mom’s yard for months. It eventually became completely undriveable due to being unused. Grass and weeds grew up around it, and everyone who drove down our street got to enjoy the eyesore. 

The difference between those two gifts wasn’t the generosity of the giver, it was the readiness of the receiver. Gerta enlarged my freedom because my character was mature enough to handle the gift and responsibility. Conversely, I wasn’t “free” to receive the same gift at 16. My maturity level didn’t match the responsibility level of having my own car, so the car was of no use to me or anyone else. 

The same is true in our spiritual lives! Character is determinative. Any gift, whether spiritual or “natural,” that isn’t channeled through a growing and maturing character will eventually be rendered useless. 

The Spirit doesn’t just give gifts so we can make an impact; He gives them to shape us. As we walk in step with Him, He forms the kind of character that can actually carry what we’ve been given: producing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…and not just one or two “strong areas,” but a whole, integrated life that reflects Him.

Holy Spirit, thank You for the gifts You’ve placed in our lives. Help us not to rush past the deeper work you want to do in us. Form our character so that everything we’ve been given is shaped by love. Teach us to walk in true freedom—the kind that serves, builds, and reflects You. Amen.