Freedom not Formulas
I’ve been reading Galatians on repeat lately as I prepare for a speaking event this fall. Every time I go through it, something new hits me—and lately it’s been this: I’m way too good at making up my own rules.
Not God’s rules. Mine. Rules that come from what I think other people expect of me. Rules based on what’s culturally “normal.” Rules that make me feel like I’m doing okay… as long as I can check enough boxes.
And it’s honestly a little uncomfortable when I realize how much that sounds like what the Pharisees did. They added more than 600 extra laws on top of what God said, mostly to make sure they looked good and stayed in control. Oof.
But Jesus doesn’t give us a giant to-do list. He gives us this:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
—Mark 12:30–31 (ESV)
Simple, right?
Until it’s not.
Because I immediately start asking: How exactly do I do that? What does loving God with all my strength even look like on a Tuesday afternoon? And what about loving my neighbor when I’m not even sure I’m loving myself well?
If I’m honest, I kind of wish Jesus had been more specific:
If your neighbor is sick, drop off a warm meal every Thursday.
If someone’s grieving, sit with them for 30 minutes every other day.
If their grass is too long, mow it—but only once.
That would be so much easier. A little complex, sure—but at least I’d know if I was doing it right.
But love doesn’t work like that. And I think that’s kind of the point.
Paul says in Galatians:
“You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters.
Only don’t use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh,
but through love serve one another.”
—Galatians 5:13 (ESV, paraphrased slightly)
Freedom isn’t about getting to do whatever I want. It’s about not being chained to expectations, performance, or fear anymore. It’s about learning to serve from a heart that’s been set free.
I still remember the morning I got my driver’s license. I was up early asking my mom what she needed from the grocery store—just looking for an excuse to drive somewhere, anywhere. She gave me the destination but didn’t tell me which way to go. That freedom? It felt like flying.
That’s what following Jesus is like sometimes. He tells us where we’re headed—love God, love others—but He doesn’t micromanage the route. He lets us walk with Him, listen to His Spirit, and figure it out as we go. There isn’t just one “right” answer to every situation… but there are a lot of wrong ones that pull us away from Him.
So here’s what I’m learning (slowly):
I don’t need to create more rules to feel safe.
I don’t need to measure love with a checklist.
I just need to keep moving toward Jesus. And let Him shape what love looks like along the way.
“We love because he first loved us.”
—1 John 4:19
So walk in that love today. You’re free. Not to prove anything—but to serve. Not to be perfect—but to be faithful.
