Freedom #2b—Serving in Freedom

You were called to freedom, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-centered action, but through love serve one another. Galatians 5:13

It is good to be free. Some we know think highly enough of freedom to invest a good portion of their lives securing and preserving it for others as well as themselves. Their desire is to help create and maintain a situation in which people can choose how they will organize themselves to pursue the best possible future. Therefore, what we do with freedom is more important than freedom itself. If we exploit the resources and time available to us to use people so we can secure more time and resources for ourselves, we make two big mistakes: 1) we demonstrate how impoverished we truly are; for free people are certain God will meet our needs in a timely way; and 2) we create a society in which we might be devoured by others who would use us to fill up their emptiness. Paul reminds us that Jesus came to secure and preserve the freedom of living in God’s grace. He frees us from our self-centeredness by obtaining forgiveness and giving us access to all the good God has to dispense. When we avail ourselves of his freedom, we can be certain he will meet our needs. Then we can move freely and lovingly from the joy of our fullness/freedom to secure and preserve that same joy for the people with whom we live and work.

Gracious Redeemer, I still fight the inclination to grasp and to hoard, to worry and to hide. Help me to enjoy the freedom of your love so that I serve others as lovingly as you have served me. Amen.