Loving WellSýnishorn

Walking It Out

In Galatians 5:13, Paul encourages us to walk out this thing called love. He writes, “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.”

Now, this admonition was written in the context that we are free in Christ. So, how can we tell if we are walking in a spirit of love or walking more in our fleshly lifestyle? Paul does a great job contrasting these two lifestyles. 

First, he defines the fleshly lifestyle. In Galatians 5:19 - 21 he writes, “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” 

If you review this list of the flesh, you can narrow these acts down to one key word: selfishness. The fleshly person is selfish sexually, emotionally (manipulative), and socially (wanting their own way); negative toward others (jealousy, rage); and self-seeking. This is a person where life is about them, and not about “humbly serving others.”

I think Paul was actually giving us a hint or a bridge between a self-absorbed lifestyle and an others-focused lifestyle that is service. Serving others transforms us from a self-focused life to a life of service toward others. 

In contrast, Galatians 5:22-23 states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” When you reduce this list to one word, that word would be selfless. This person is giving fruit to others.

When you look at walking out a lifestyle of loving well, you are looking at a others-focused life. This lifestyle is looking for ways to create and maintain relationships with others. This life values people, whereas the fleshly lifestyle creates division and does not truly value other people, just oneself. 

Walking this lifestyle of loving well is at our core. We must know we are here to serve, not to be served. We are here to love our best in relationships and to be focused on the fruits we are giving to others instead of what we are receiving from others.