March 25 - Galatians 5:7-12

March 25 - Galatians 5:7-12

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Who (or what) gets in your way when you are moving toward the truth? Is it yourself or your circumstances? Are there outside influences that put walls up? Is it the life you’ve chosen or even one that has been placed on you?  Is it your family or your friends?  Is it your job or the lack of one? Is it what you do with your free time?

What stops you from being completely free and expressing love to the world?

Paul tells us that it doesn’t really take much.  A little yeast works through the whole dough.  It doesn’t take much yeast to cause bread to rise … it doesn’t take much corruption to stop us from living as free people.  Maybe it’s one word or a sentence that hardens our hearts toward someone else.  Or maybe it’s a memory that we have of a similar situation. 

Whatever happens does not happen because God allows it.  God doesn’t want us to be bound up in sin and live a miserable life.  He wants us to know freedom, to express love, to have faith.  He wants us to find freedom in His will.

When there is confusion, it doesn’t come from the still, small voice that Elijah heard on the mountain.  It comes from the outside and stops us from living our lives as God wants them to be lived.

It will never be easy – setting aside those things that we have lived with for a lifetime.  We may not even know how much that negativity impacts our relationship with God.  We are so used to making snarky comments, or hearing filthy gossip, encouraging others to believe the worst about others because it suits our purposes, never standing up for the truth because it is easier to keep quiet, allowing mistrust and ugliness to continue because we don’t care. 

Faith expresses itself in love, even when it is difficult or awkward, selfless or dangerous. 

Who is it that gets in your way?