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WILLING TO SERVE
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only
do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence,
but through love become slaves to one another.
This passage pulls no
punches: It is strong and to the point. We are reminded that we
have freedom; we are no longer in bondage to sin because of
Christ. However, in order to accept this freedom, we must decide
for ourselves whether we will accept or reject his love. Even if
we open our eyes and hearts to the Lord, we still have more
choices to make. We can lead idle lives of self-indulgence and
sin, or we can follow the instructions of our Savior and love
others as we would want them to treat us.
The gut reaction to this question is simple: We want to follow
God and want to lead a Christian life. Accomplishing that goal
can be exceptionally difficult.
I like to think that Paul in his letter to the Christians of
Galatia knew how hard leading a Christian life could be. But he
announces no short cut or easy way out. Instead, he is blunt.
He tells us that, as Christians, we must decide to sacrifice our
unlimited freedom and willingly give our time, our treasure and
our emotions to others. Although this is hard, we must daily
renew our acceptance of the Lord and commit ourselves to serving
others with love and compassion.
Dear God, I pray that
with each action I take, I do you honor by treating others with
the love and respect I would wish for myself.
Amen.
Dallas Rakestraw
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