Galatians 6:1-10

Lessons from lockdown: Do not give up

During lockdown there has been a lot of uncertainty and loss. It can seem futile to have to work so hard to achieve a church and life experience that ultimately is unsatisfactory.

Paul: "Don't give up!"

A central theme to the book of Galatians is to not give up. Paul always shut down thoughts of legalism and striving to meet some imaginary mark of perfection. He didn't want the church to give up the gospel of freedom.

The gospel of freedom

Paul preached a gospel of freedom, where we are free from trying to live a perfect life. We are free from our debts of sin. We don't need to pay God off at some point. But the actions of Jesus on the cross means that there is nothing to pay!

We are also free from fears of the future. We don't need to worry about our future and strive to indulge our human needs and wants. We are free to solely focus on what God wants, which is living in the Spirit and Word of Him. Something that we can do easily through the strength He has given us.

What we get out of life is what we put into it. Living in God's Spirit is the same. We can get a life of holiness and direction if we put in the devotion to God's word and commit our lives to His way. Yes, there is hard work involved - but it is not futile. If we are resilient and depend on nothing but the Spirit and Word, rather than programs and activities, then nothing can make us give up our pursuit of holiness. We will become strong and independent Christians who can survive even the strongest storm.

Our choice

We can work on the flesh, the worldly desires and get nothing but futility and pain in return, or we can work on the Spirit and get rewards of holiness and peace in God.

If you give up your strive towards godliness, you will get no reward. But if you carry on, keep pushing during the hard times, the spiritual reward will overshadow all struggles.

Committing to the church

How are you invested in your local church? Have you disengaged in the pandemic and stopped praying and serving your church community?

It may not be easy, but we can continue to invest in these tough times! Pray for, reach out, and engage with your church community in this time - the doors may be closed but the spirit is still working.