Free in Christ

Once a Jewish religious leader asked him this question: "Good sir, what shall I do to get to heaven?"

"Do you realize what you are saying when you call me 'good'?" Jesus asked him. "Only God is truly good, and no one else." Luke 18:18-19 (TLB)

You and I agree Jews by birth, not mere Gentile sinners, and yet we Jewish Christians know very well that we cannot become right with God by obeying our Jewish laws, but only by faith in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And so we, too, have trusted Jesus Christ, that we might be accepted by God because of faith - and not because we have obeyed the Jewish laws. For no one will ever be saved by obeying them. Galatians 2:15-16 (TLB)

Lara Jarrous lives in Texas. Growing up in a family of overachievers, Lara always felt one step behind. She was not an all-A student, and she did not want to make decisions about her future based on how much money she would make. Lara wanted to take her own path in life, but she was surrounded by people who constantly put her down for her lack of societal perfection. Lara began to feel worthless, as if her life had no meaning. But Lara soon realized that she must not wallow in these worldly flaws. She was created in God's perfect image; she could rejoice in her differences. It was vital for Lara to recognize that through Jesus, she is free from the expectations of society.

Genesis 1:27 states that humans are made in the image of God. Yet, society has created standards for humanity that can lead us to doubt God's beautiful creation. We do not need to justify ourselves by social expectations; we are justified by our faith in Jesus Christ. In Jesus, we are free to be who God created us to be.

Prayer: Faithful God, thank you for creating me in your image and for freeing me from the expectations of society, in Jesus' name. Amen.