Contemplative Bible Reading

Galatians 3:3 (New Living Translation)

3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?

There are folks who study how we all change from one thing to another. These folks have noted how many ways there are we change. Paul is writing to Christians in Galatia a long time ago. His words are relevant today.

These people in Galatia had experienced a change in their lives. Well, they were in the middle of the change. They had heard about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. That’s a miracle that brings the Spirit of God into each person’s life. These people had started new lives in the Spirit of God.

Then, they became tired and confused and confounded by the weight and tangles of daily life. They started to drift back. That drifting back is normal. There is a part of changing that is chaotic. The new, even the new life in the Spirit of God, isn’t yet familiar. We try this and that and some other thing. Some things work, some don’t. We’re confused. In addition, the phone is ringing and someone needs a ride to something while the car is getting an oil change and the lawn mower needs replacing and you want to fix that squeaky front door and the boss says he needs you to work some on the weekend and … What was I talking about?

Chaos. Oh, I know of a familiar place. The Galatians knew of a familiar way to live. It involved reaching for God with human effort. If we just follow enough rules, we can climb the stairs to heaven and peace from all this and … Wrong. Human effort, no matter how diligent, isn’t enough. It is the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

But, I struggle with that Spirit-of-God thing and concept and, oh, wait a minute, the phone is ringing again and… Stop. Please. Stop. Accept God’s gift. Move ahead.