"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery...
You, my brothers, wre called to be free.
But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature;
rather, serve one another in love.
The entire law is summed up in a single command:
'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "
Galatians 5:1, 13-14
For those who are my friends on Facebook, you know that I've spent the last week primarily in The Netherlands. The purpose of the trip was for work, but I had the privilege of going in a few days early with a friend so I could see the city.
I've been through the airport in the past, but I've never been able to go experience the Dutch culture, and this was my perfect opportunity.
But as I reflect on my time there, I have some observations to share...
First, most Americans are lazy.
OK, I really can't fairly speak for the majority of Americans, but I can speak for myself -- I am lazy. There, I said it. Over the last week, I walked and hiked more than I have in the entire last year, and that even includes the walking conducted on past shopping excursions (that's a lot, by the way!).
When I want to go somewhere in the USA, I jump in the car and take off. I don't use public transportation. And, I definitely never consider jumping on my bike that is hanging in my garage, probably full of cobwebs, untouched since our move to this house 5 years ago.
But in Amsterdam, a motorized vehicle is a minority. Bicycles, well they are the majority. There are multi-level parking garages full of them. There are no cars in the garages; no, they are 100% full of every kind of bicycle you can imagine. Old, new, locked, unlocked, and probably some broke ones, too.
And that leads me to my next observation. In Amsterdam, pedestrians do not have the right of way. Ever. Although I never saw an accident while I was there, I did experience my friends saving my life time and time again. Just when I thought it was safe to cross the street, someone grabbed me to hold me back, because a bus, taxi, or more often, 50 bicyclists were about to converge on the same area where my feet were headed.
Third, Amsterdam has some pretty delectible treats to offer.
From the Stroupe Waffles I brought home with me, to the breads, and the incredible fresh fruits, combined with the various pastries, well, let's just say that this girls's sweet tooth was pretty content. My favorite meal was at this place below. The man in the picture makes fresh crepes with each order. My friend and I each ordered a different crepe and then split them, so we could try them both. So by the time I left, I had a half of a mozzarella crepe, a half of a strawberry crepe, topped with nutella and chocolate, and then finally, for desert, I had a pastry filled with strawberries, nutella, chocolate, ice cream and real whipped cream. My taste buds thanked me for taking them. My hips did not.
Next observation: Amsterdam is a beautiful city. Truly, some of the features are incredible and the architecture is gorgeous! I love the way that parts of the old city has seemingly stopped in time.
On top of that, Amsterdam hosts the Anne Frank house. I could have spent hours upon hours reading and re-reading the excerpts from the Diary of Anne Frank as I toured the house she and her family hid in. The outside of the house was under renovation, so the only shot I got was this one below. No pictures were permitted inside, just like in the Van Gogh museum, so you'll have to go for yourself to check it out. It's a must see, and you also really need to buy tickets in advance if you don't want to wait forever in line for a timed entrance.
However, as beautiful as this city is, I guarantee you I could live the rest of my life without passing another sex shop or storefront selling "magic mushrooms", and in doing so, I would be fully complete.
Depending on what list you read, Amsterdam either tops the list of the ten most sinful cities in the world or at least ranks in the top 5. While I was there, I took a canal cruise, and the recording that told about the sites in the city said something like this, "Amsterdam was founded by a group of citizens wanting freedom. Amsterdam is not known for its great churches and cathedrals, but rather for its red-light district."
Friends, from my observation, let me tell you, this is a true statement. Dispersed between the souvenir shops and restaurants downtown is every kind of immoral site you can imagine. I saw a sign that said, "The sex workers do not want to be photographed." I passed by at least one "Sex Museum", probably multiple ones. Mechanical things I can't really describe in this blog were openly on display in windows. I walked across a sidewalk with a sculpture of a woman's breasts with a man's hand on one of them, which of course seemed completely appropriate, given the city I was visiting.
In The Fault in Our Stars, John Green wrote, "Some tourists think Amsterdam is a city of sin, but in truth, it is a city of freedom. And in freedom, most people find sin."
As I think about this quote, I realize the depth of truth it offers. Freedom. As a Christian, I believe Christ died to give us freedom, freedom in Him. He doesn't impose His will on me; I have a choice. I can choose to pursue fleshly desires and live a life of sin, or I can choose to deny self and follow Christ. And I have to ask, which one offers true freedom?
When you're surrounded by the "norm" being the antithesis of everything you believe in, the freedom of choosing sin over Christ is a real possibility for even the most seasoned Christian. I found myself quoting Scripture about renewing my mind and taking every thought captive. When you're in a foreign land, the enemy quickly whispers, "no one is watching." Now don’t worry, I didn't visit any inappropriate places while I was there, nor was I even really tempted to do so. But I did find my mind wandering with curse words being the first thought to enter my brain when I would hit my head on a short doorframe, which is quite unlike me. (Another observation - the Dutch are apparently not very tall people, and I have several knots on my noggin to support that observation!) In short (pun intended), It's easy to let your guard down without even knowing you've done it.
I Corinthians 6:12 says, "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible, but I will not be mastered by anything." So I wonder how many freedom seeking people involved in this lifestyle are mastered by it. I would venture to say there are many addicted, and the freedom they think they have is really no freedom at all. In reality, they are slaves to the sin. The Bible says in Hebrews that sin is fun for a season. Proverbs 16:25 says "There is a way that appears to be right, but the end is death."
I Peter 5:8 says we have to be sober and alert because the enemy is prowling around looking to devour us. So my challenge to you (and myself) today is from these Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 10:5 "Demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ."
Romans 12:-2 "Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you will be able to prove what is good and acceptable and pleasing to God."
Am I perfect? No, of course not. I am a sinner, saved by God's grace. And please understand I'm not trying to write this with a premise of being a "holier than thou" Christian who does no wrong. Lord knows that is far from the truth, and if in doubt, just ask my kids who will quickly write an expose on their mother.
I just want to be the best Beth that I can be in God's eyes, through His strength, not my own. Even in the midst of the evil, there was so much beauty in Amsterdam that my heart felt a pang about leaving. But that's how satan works, you know? Because my final observation is that it doesn't take much for satan to get a foothold on a little piece of your heart, and that little piece can easily turn into a big hunk, and eventually he'll claim squatters rights on a large oversized portion. His control slowly grows as I let him.
I'll close with one of my favorite songs that I keep on my playlist. It's by Casting Crowns, and it's called "Slow Fade." All it takes is for satan to get just a little piece of your heart, and from there, it's a slow fade, so slow, that we often don't even realize it's happened until we've messed up so badly that we hit rock bottom.
Be cautious. As cautious as pedestrians crossing the road in Amsterdam. Don't take one step into the street when possible danger (or a bicycle) is headed your way. Look left. Look right. And look left again. Do a double, even a triple take, because as quickly as bicycles appeared out of nowhere with the intent to run me over, satan himself will attempt to do the same thing.
Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade
Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
--- Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com