“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.
But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another
humbly in love.”
Galatians 5:13
Why would the Paul write the verse above to believers?
What is the connection between indulging the flesh and
serving one another humbly in love?
The ‘connection’ is that one excludes the other.
If all I want to do is indulge my flesh
(because, after all, Christ has made me free)
then little else matters to me, especially serving
someone else.
We can easily think of a million other things we would
rather be doing than serving.
Sometimes it is easier to write a check or send a
donation than to go and do.
Serving calls me out of my easy chair, my comfy couch,
to someplace I will be stretched in my faith.
Serving might demand I be around people who make me
uncomfortable.
We want the
emphasis to be on the freedom we have in Christ.
Paul reinforces that we do have wonderful freedom
because of the price Christ paid for us but then places the emphasis squarely
on serving one another in love.
And oh, by the way, serve in humility!
We love freedom – it says I am no longer bound.
Paul challenges us to be bound in loving service to
one another.
No, not in the sense that we must do it to earn our
way into heaven but rather we are compelled by Christ’s love to serve one
another just as He said:
“...But I am among you as one
who serves.”
Luke 22:27b
When Jesus washed the disciple’s feet as recorded in
John 13, He rose from the table.
He had to get up from reclining to serve them by
washing their feet.
He had to leave the comfort of the meal table and
serve.
He should have been the one served, yet He was
teaching by doing.
Today, what service is calling you away from your leisure?
Will you continue to recline or will you respond to
the call?
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