Audio Devotion:
Devotion:
We need to serve one another out of love and compassion.
One of my favorite poets is Mary Oliver. In her poem “The Summer Day", she asks the question “What will you do with your one wild and precious life?” I’ve heard this poem read at graduations, weddings and retirement celebrations, and her question is worth reflecting on at any time of life. Paul is asking the Galatians to reflect on a different version of this question in our scripture today; “What will you use your new freedom for? (my paraphrase). What are we being called to in our life of faith? Paul’s answer is to use this new freedom faithfully, and not to indulge ourselves, but to instead seek to serve one another and our wider community through love. Or as Paul says in 1 Corinthians (1:14) “Make love your aim.”
Paul emphasizes not just having faith in Christ, but modeling our lives after Christ. In some ways, it’s pretty simple. Jesus spoke often of loving God, and loving our neighbor as ourself (Luke 10). Jesus also was clear that our love for others needs to be put in action. And that can be hard to do. Paul acknowledged that struggle as well, but he also believed that God’s power and grace would be with us as we seek to serve one another. And the history of the early Christian churches reflects that service. What will we use our freedom in Christ for?
Personal Worship Option:
“What will you do with your one wild and precious life?”
