It’s Friday. The weekend beckons. We have free time to enjoy and to worship. Paul writes to the Galatians, “For freedom Christ has set us free.” Freedom not only for the weekend, but for time and eternity. Now that’s what I call freedom. Free from the shackles of the law. Free from the consequences of our sin. Free from slavery to ungodliness.

But Paul has more to say about our newfound freedom. He warns his readers against using their liberty as an excuse for self-indulgence to pursue a dissolute and decadent lifestyle, for which Jesus has not set them free.

Then for what purpose? It’s really quite simple, yet hard to perform. Paul writes, “Through love become slaves to one another.” Freedom to become slaves? I knew there was a catch. It seemed too good to be true. But it’s not. Jesus grants us life as we give ourselves to others. It’s simple, yet we see so little evidence among us. How often do we think about someone else rather than ourselves? Before we open our mouths, do we consider others’ feelings? Does our lifestyle brag about our possessions? This is not the type of freedom for which we’ve been set free.

In Jesus, we’re free to invest in others. When I was a financial planner, my primary purpose was not to make the most money for myself. Others assured me that the more I could help others achieve their financial dreams, the fewer nightmares I would have about money.

The same premise holds true for followers of Jesus: The more we help others, the more free we will feel. Invest in the spiritual and worldly lives of others. Jesus set us free to love one another; this is freedom as it was meant to be.