What does it mean to be free? When I pose this question to my students, here's the answer I typically get.

Freedom means doing whatever you want. Sometimes they'll add, as long as you don't hurt anyone else.

If we look closely at this answer, we will see that this is not freedom at all.

Doing whatever you want, even if you don't hurt someone else, virtually guarantees that you won't be free.

It's much more likely that you'll be imprisoned either by your own desires or someone else's.

It doesn't take more than a little reflection to realize that

doing whatever you want is a bad way to live. What happens if you eat everything you want?

You'll get sick, become overweight, and lack energy to do the things that a healthy person can do.

That makes you less free.

What about the 20-something who lives at home and plays video games all day?

That might be fun for a while, but for the long term, he's totally dependent on his parents.

He has no freedom.

He lacks real meaning and the sense of purpose that comes from work and

ambition. And he's not exactly making himself a compelling candidate for the opposite sex.

One day he wakes up and he's 30. Yeah, maybe he worked a few jobs here and there, but there's no

family, no career, no sacrifice for a greater purpose.

I've seen this scenario play out, and so of you. It's not pretty. And is freedom really living

without boundaries? Which is better? Banging on piano keys or following an instructor who teaches

you to play the piano correctly. The answer is obvious.

Small children bang on keys without restraint. Making music requires discipline. We can apply this

across all of life. Consider the relationship between a husband and wife. They choose to restrict their romantic affections to one another.

This provides emotional security for them and their children.

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