Tear Down the Walls: Galatians Part 1
Breathe deep for one minute.
From our Bree Allegory:
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It is amazing how much of ourselves goes with us wherever we go. New surroundings might distract us for a bit, but sooner or later, what is true on our insides becomes apparent once again.
Our souls are like magnets. As our body takes our soul through life, we collect remnants of experiences.
As Bree sat, she felt those remnants come back.
A dull ache of worthlessness.
Shame about her looks.
Embarrassment at her words.
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It is incredibly difficult to overcome lies. We live in a world that is constructed on a foundation of half truths and deceptions.
Worthlessness: we are told contradictory stories about worth.
On one hand, we are pressed to perform for a sense of worth. It starts when we are young—parents hoping that their children will test into Talented And Gifted (TAG) programs, and kids learning that they get approval because of letter grades.
On the other hand, we are told that worth does not come from external merit, but from oneself : “I am enough” is the refrain we hear. For the Christian, this is an incomplete thought for people who are not designed to live as autonomous individuals, but are born into interdependent systems that cannot be disconnected from God or others. To say to myself over and over, “I am enough” is subversive to the reality we are living in: we need God and we need others.
No one can earn worth and no one can ascribe worth to him/herself . Rather, we receive worth from God—notice the singular and plural pronouns in Paul’s words:
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT
Today, confess to the Lord the dull aches of your soul. Receive worth from him. And, allow his grace to heal you.
