Sometimes churches and well-meaning Christians try to remold us into revised editions of themselves or what they believe a Christian should be.
You Are Unique–So Is Your Future Mate
It Is For Freedom That Christ Has Set Us Free. stand Firm, Then, And Do Not Let Yourselves Be burdened Again By A Yoke Of Slavery. – Galatians 5:1
You are not a replica of your future mate. If you were, you probably wouldn’t want to marry that person. You are not a replica of any other Christian either.
Sometimes churches and well-meaning Christians try to remold us into revised editions of themselves or what they believe a Christian should be.
If you fall prey to this fallacy, you will probably eventually be “under the law” in some legalistic structure. This is a new kind of slavery.
Today’s verse (Gal. 5:1) states that we are not to allow slavery to happen to us. Unfortunately, this slavery happens in marriage. Each of you is drawn to your future partner by the person’s uniqueness.
After marriage, however, too many couples lose their appreciation of this uniqueness and see it as a pain in the neck. So they try to stifle and restrict this in a partner. This is slavery.
The way to be really free as a person and as a couple and to develop into all that God wants you to be, is to look to Him and His Word instead of looking to other people.
Yes, others can give you some guidance and insight. So can your partner; but our basic source of study is God. Other people, like us, are imperfect. When we focus on them we often make wrong comparisons.
The Bible is full of comparison examples. Cain compared himself with Abel and killed him. Esau compared himself with Jacob, cared nothing about his birthright, and lost his inheritance.
Saul compared himself to David and developed a mental breakdown. Those results aren’t too encouraging, are they? Why look at others? That is slavery.
Think about the following two questions for a moment: What do you want your marriage to reflect? If the characteristics that come to mind are not present in other couples you know, are you willing to stand alone and be different?
This could include letting your partner know that you are who you are and always will be. Your uniqueness will enhance your partner’s life.
Marriage is never to be a confinement, but an opportunity for each of you to be free and develop your potential to the utmost!
We have been set free by Christ. Although we have been set free, we can easily reattach the chains and handcuffs all by ourselves. Watch out that you don’t sell yourself to some new slave master.
The freedom you have was paid for, and it was costly. It cost God His Son. In setting you free, He was saying, “You are worth it. You are free. Follow Me alone.”