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.

Freedom is a tricky thing. We think we want it, but the pursuit of it often results in slavery to sin and injury to ourselves and those around us. Paul wrote about this at length in Romans 6. In Christ we are liberated from legalism, but that liberty should free us to serve one another, not because of some rule but because that is the desire of our heart. Blessing others is a source of huge blessing for the one doing the blessing! That seems paradoxical, simply because our flesh is selfish and shortsighted, unable to recognize the blessings that lie ahead in serving others. One reason marriage can be such a blessing is that, to some degree at least, our focus goes from pleasing ourselves to pleasing our partner. That’s where the phrase, “Happy wife, happy life,” comes from. This verse is of course far broader than that. Genuine love is the wellspring of countless blessings, which is why Jesus said that the greatest two commandments are to love God and love our neighbor. (Matthew 22:36-40) This verse connects directly to that, because loving our neighbor as we love ourselves certainly means serving them, and obedience to God produces the greatest blessings!

I have been as thoroughly self-centered as anyone, I think, and it’s never done me much good. By personality I tend to be an introvert, which certainly connects to being self-centered. God gave me a wife who is one of the most outgoing people I’ve ever met, and after 57+ years of marriage, I’ve grown enough that people have trouble believing I’m an introvert! I have indeed learned the joy of serving others, but my flesh still gets in the way at times, and I can feel like people are too much trouble to be worth the effort. That’s a lie of the devil! When Jesus gave absolutely everything for me, holding back anything in serving Him is illogical in the extreme. And of course, Jesus told us clearly, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) Serving others can be inconvenient, and it can wear us out. I do need the guidance of the Holy Spirit to serve others and also be a good steward of myself, but my attitude should always be gratitude that I can serve God through serving the people around me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There is indeed no limit to opportunities for service. Help me recognize what You want me to do and do it with my whole heart, as unto You, so that Your grace and mercy may flow unhindered through me, drawing others to You for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!