This post is part of the Free to Live series. Find the whole series here.
“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).
Can I be honest with you?
I love lists.
The list can be for just about anything. It can be a to-do list around the house—like washing dishes, folding laundry, and mowing the lawn. Or it can be a to-do list for work—like writing a blog post, creating an email, or putting together an ad for Meditations: Daily Devotional®. If something needs to get done, you can bet I’ve got a sticky note for that task. Or multiple sticky notes. Everywhere.
I think you get the idea.
Having a list of things to do is so satisfying and comforting. I never have to wonder, What’s next? (Unless, of course, I’m creating a new list of things to do!) I can look at my to-do list and see exactly what needs doing. Even more satisfying is checking things off that to-do list, because even if there’s always another thing to add to the never-ending list, I’ve accomplished something—and I can see that from the scribbled-out task on the sticky note.
I know I’m not alone when I appreciate having a to-do list. In general, people like having a clear course of direction, a clear path forward in life—whether it’s having goals at work or in our relationships. We like knowing what comes next and what we can (or even should) do.
When we don’t have that clear course of direction, at best, we tend to wander aimlessly from one thing to the next. We spend our time doing nothing much at all. (Don’t get me wrong, we still need our lazy days to rest and relax!) At worst, when we have the freedom to do whatever we want, our sinful selves find trouble all too easily.
In some sense, that seems to be what Paul is warning the Galatians about here, isn’t it?
As Christians, we are called to be free in Christ Jesus.
We’re free from the chains of sin, the oppressive weight of the law that demands it be followed perfectly if we are to earn our salvation. Jesus has taken away our sins; he has broken the shackles that held us fast. Jesus has removed the crushing weight of the law from our backs; he kept God’s law perfectly in our place. His perfection, and his righteousness, are ours. We’re free!
Now what?
If we’re free, if there’s nothing left for us to do, then what do we do? Thankfully, our God doesn’t leave us without a plan. He gives us a clear course of direction in life. We’re not to use our freedom to indulge in our sinful desires. That isn’t the freedom we’re called to live out as God’s children.
As Paul wrote elsewhere, “Sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means” (Romans 6:14-15).
We are free to live and serve one another humbly in love.
Serving one another humbly in love—looking to others’ needs before meeting our own—isn’t done to earn salvation. That’s already been won for us by our Savior, Jesus. Serving one another humbly in love is simply what we do as God’s children. As the apostle John wrote, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Serving one another humbly in love isn’t really a to-do list item. It isn’t something that we check off once, dust off our hands, and say, “That’s it. I’ve done my good deed for today.” It’s what we’re called to do . . . constantly.
If it helps to visualize such things, why not write “Serve humbly in love” on a sticky note and put it somewhere you can see it all day? Leave it unchecked until you go to bed and get ready to start all over again in the morning.
Will there be days when you feel guilty, looking at that sticky note because you didn’t serve others humbly in love? Absolutely. (For me, that’s every day.) But remember, dear Christian, you are forgiven in Christ! His perfect love covers over your imperfect love. His Word and sacraments motivate you to live for him in joy and thanksgiving.
Check the box, cross out the task, crumple up the sticky note, go to bed in peace, and start fresh tomorrow.
We are free to live . . . in humble service and love.
Free to Live is a five-part series on Paul’s letter to the Galatians. It doesn’t cover everything though, so if you want to study the entire book of Galatians, Pastor Roy W. Hefti’s devotional commentary, Galatians: The Beating Heart of the Gospel, is an excellent choice.
Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
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