Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Let’s FOCUS on our freedom to serve.

Today’s scripture, Galatians 5:13-14 (NIV)…
[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. [14] For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Consider…
I mentioned earlier this week that the inspiration for the FOCUS theme came over the weekend, and was confirmed in the Sermons I heard. Today’s scripture was the focal passage used by a preacher Sunday.

Galatians 5 is broken into two complimentary sections…

• Freedom from sin in Christ
• Living free from sin by the Holy Spirit

Yet, tucked away in our freedom from sin, is the fact that we were also freed to serve others. Today’s verses speak directly to that freedom to serve. So does Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) implicitly provide an other-centric focus. It says…
[22] But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

These verses reveal we have been freed to…

• Love others
• Have joy for others
• Make peace with others
• Be kind others
• Do good works for others
• Be faithful in serving others
• Be gentle engaging others
• Exercise self-control while helping others

…remember trees bear fruit for the benefit of others.

This makes me think of 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NLT), which says…
[10] God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. [11] Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

We must always be mindful that God gives us what He wants us to share, and with what He wants us to serve.

Sometimes believers are so focused on God saving them from hell, that they forget that Christ also saved them to serve people on earth like He did. The Holy Spirit guided me to Matthew 20:25-28 (NIV) to emphasize God’s expectation…
[25] Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. [26] Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, [27] and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— [28] just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

These verses tell us that God values serving more than status, position or accomplishments.

To better appreciate God’s servant focus expectation, the Holy Spirit led me to Ephesians 6:5-8 (NIV), which explains…
[5] Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. [6] Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. [7] Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, [8] because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

Verse 7 is highlights God’s serving expectation…
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people

God wants us to serve others as unto Him. This immediately reminded me of Jesus saying in John 10:17 (NIV)…
[17] The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.

And this sacrificial love displayed by Jesus is expected of us. 1 John 3:16 (NLT) explains…
[16] We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

That’s the level of loving others God expects. It’s what Jesus emphasized in John 13:34 (NIV), when He said…
[34] “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

The Holy Spirit is telling me that God wants us to focus less on saving people, He’s got that under control, and more on serving them, which can lead to a saving knowledge of Him.

Indeed, the Holy Spirit reminds us that God wants us to obey Romans 12:10 (NIV), which exhorts…
[10] Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Being devoted in love reminds me to also serve with JOY in my heart…

• Jesus
• Others
• Yourself

Today focus on honoring Jesus’ freedom from sin to serve others for Him.

Today’s song is…
Make Me A Servant

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)