Scripture: Galatians 5:13 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.
Devotional: One of the things that marks an authentic, biblical community is a willingness to serve one another. This starts in our most basic relationships, our marriage, our nuclear family, and our extended family. But it also extends to our church family and those who are yet to be part of our church family.
The apostle Paul speaks in today’s passage of the freedom we have in Christ, but it also speaks of our responsibility to utilize our freedom in responsible ways. That is, not to employ our freedom to satisfy our own desires, but rather to use it to serve others. It’s one of the greatest expressions of love.
When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet (John 13), He demonstrated His love for them through something that would be reserved for the most lowly of servants. He became a servant in this act, but it also served as a foreshadowing of the most sacrificial demonstration of love the world would know.
As we each live in the freedom Christ has bought for us, may we each be responsive to the ways He calls us to serve.
Reflect:
- In what ways and to whom may Jesus be calling you to serve humbly in love today?