Liberty that Loves

Day 7 — Liberty That Loves

Scripture:

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
Galatians 5:13 (ESV)

As Americans, we love liberty.
The freedom to choose what we want to do.
The freedom to say what we want.
The freedom to strive, build, dream, and pursue any future we can imagine.

Liberty is something people have sacrificed deeply for, and we understand that freedom always comes with responsibility. Even in a free society, there are limits. You may have the freedom to do whatever you want, but you also have to be willing to live with the consequences of those choices.

That same truth carries into our spiritual lives.
Because of Jesus, we are no longer slaves to the law or a religious system that tried to manage behavior from the outside. We are no longer slaves to sin or its eternal consequences. We have been set free.

But Paul reminds us that Christian freedom was never meant to turn inward.
Real liberty, the kind Jesus gives, isn’t centered around self—it’s expressed through love. Freedom in Christ isn’t the permission to do whatever we want without regard for others; that isn’t freedom at all. That’s slowly building a prison around ourselves.

Jesus shows us a different way.
He consistently used His freedom to love people, serve people, and put others first. That’s what walking in the Spirit looks like—giving up control, loving others, and choosing their needs ahead of our own.

When we live this way, something shifts. Freedom stops being about me and starts becoming about mission. It begins to look like Jesus.

Reflection
In what ways might God be inviting you to use your freedom this week to serve someone else?

Prayer
Jesus, thank You for the freedom You’ve given me. Teach me to use it the way You did—through love, humility, and service to others. Amen.