Everywhere I go it feels as if someone is taking something that doesn’t belong to him. Once when I was still working at the factory, I got the impression that the small screws were being used up really quickly. After looking into it, I discovered that every day after a supervisor had pulled screws from the store, one of the workers went and did the same thing. Within 14 days screws amounting to R1 500 were lost. This made me very angry! How can you just take something that doesn’t belong to you?

This is not restricted to business and money. People want to steal even in the church. Can you believe it? In the church! No! Paul told the people how they had to go and meet with the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. Titus went along. However, Titus had not been circumcised as prescribed by the law. But, said Paul, some saw the matter differently: 4 Significantly, Titus, non-Jewish though he was, was not required to be circumcised. While we were in conference we were infiltrated by spies pretending to be Christians, who slipped in to find out just how free true Christians are. Their ulterior motive was to reduce us to their brand of servitude.

You have to keep checking all the time to prevent someone from outside and sometimes inside the church from stealing our joy. Have you ever after talking to someone felt guilty for not complying with all the rules and regulations like that person did? Did you then start doubting whether your place has been prepared with your Creator as you had always thought? Did you feel as if you will not make it?

It’s a thief that makes you feel like that!

It’s someone who may not really understand what Jesus had done on the cross. That person tries to ram what he believes down your throat and with his persuasive stories tries to prove you wrong. But that person is stealing from you. He steals your joy. He makes you feel discouraged and he makes you doubt as well. Don’t take any notice of it. Don’t allow other people, even if they are part of the church, to corner you and take from you what does not belong to them.

Satan is just looking for a place to make you lose direction, because he knows an unhappy person is an easy target. Yes, when I have to discipline people who’ve taken stuff that didn’t belong to them, my joy is stolen. Then I feel like locking the doors behind me and driving into the sea. Do you sometimes feel like this?

We mustn’t allow it. Like Paul we must give it our all: 5… We were determined to preserve the truth of the Message for you. Someone doesn’t like it if we can still laugh and jump and joyfully take life on even if things are hard. We must be on our guard and keep crooks out of our space, keep them from sowing negative seeds and stealing our joy.

Jesus died on the cross so that we don’t have to carry a heavy burden anymore. He came to free us. So, if someone wants to put you in chains and handcuffs again, chase him away.

We can laugh and be joyful, because God is here!

Galatians 2:1-10

Reflection

Where is the devil trying to trip you up?

What do you have to put in place not to trip?

Do you have the guts to do it?

Prayer

Lord, thank for freeing the chains of the law. Thank you that we can be free to enjoy life. Please help us to protect our freedom. You have saved us so that we can be truly free. Amen