If you want to be a disciple of Jesus you need to meditate long and hard on John 15.  One word is repeated throughout the first 17 verses: Abide (or remain).  To abide in God is hard if you value your freedom above anything else.  It requires complete submission to His will, a childlike trust.  If you really want to do His will you will know what it is (John 7:17) and be able to abide in it.

One of the central paradoxes of the Christian life is this:  Jesus died for all our sins, past, present and future so we can have eternal life freely without having to do anything other than allowing the Holy Spirit to apply that truth to our lives.  We receive that truth, believe, are born again and we are fit for heaven.  But if you want to be a disciple you need to realise that you have been bought with a price, you are not your own (1 Cor. 6:20). If you want to be a disciple you need to lay down your life and decide, here and now, not my will but Yours be done.  You give up your freedom for something better: to be a slave of God.

This may seem harsh but in reality God’s yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:20).  It is the constant fighting against it that can be hard.

Here is an illustration from real life that I have found useful: We have two dogs which we take for walks.  These dogs love their freedom. We dare not let the biggest one in particular off the lead since he will then just make a dash for it and could easily get killed on the roads.  He won’t come back when you call him.  He values his freedom above obedience but one day that could cost him his life.  Because we love him and don’t want to lose him we keep him on a lead.  Part of his training involves being made to walk close to his master.  Sometimes we make it so he is constrained to walk between a wall and his master’s feet with no room to manoeuvre.  It seems harsh, he has no freedom, no choice but it is the best way for him to learn to walk at the pace of his master.

There is an interesting contrast between the two dogs.  The smaller one causes less trouble when she pulls on the lead than the bigger, stronger one does.  So she gets away with more.  But anyway, if we let her off the lead she will come back when you call her.

God works with us in similar ways.  If you are big and strong you may need more pressure and constraining than someone weaker.  Either way, the key to getting more freedom is to be more submissive to your Master’s will.