“Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days; but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord's brother. In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!” Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NRSV‬‬

Series: Galatians: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Formation

Devotional: 5 of 7

In his letter to the Galatian church, Paul's testimony of transformation tells a story commonly seen in every spiritual journey toward freedom in Christ. So far in this series, we have looked at Paul's early days of life without Christ, his radical transformation after encountering the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, and his time in solitude in the desert of Arabia to be transformed by Christ for the purpose of ministry.

Solitude is the furnace of transformation where our old self is reformed into the character of Jesus. Solitude is not a one-time transaction. Rather, it is a daily rhythm of slipping away from the noise of life to be alone with Jesus in the quiet. Out of this regular time of solitude, the Spirit compels us to go and tell the story of the Gospel.

Like Paul, we have been entrusted with sharing the Gospel message with others: the message of hope that at just the right time, God sent Jesus into the world, and through His life, death, and resurrection, we can be redeemed from the curse of sin and death, so that through faith we might be set free as adopted children of God. (See Galatians 3:26, 4:4-5, and 5:1)

You have a story. I have a story. And it is here, at the intersection of our stories and the Gospel story, that, more often than not, God chooses to bring about real-life change in the hearts of the people in our circle of influence. Change happens when we invite other people (regardless of whether we think they are close to God or not) into our faith journey by sharing the details of how God is transforming our hearts from the inside out in times of blessing and suffering. Our testimony to others often shines the brightest in times of great hardship. So don't be afraid to show your scars, to show that you are a work in progress, and to show that God isn't looking for religious perfection but instead is inviting people into an intimate, interactive relationship.

Friend, all around you are people created in the image of God walking through life alone. What a testimony it would be if they looked at our lives and saw a better way. A way of doing life hand in hand with Jesus, committed to going wherever He leads and fully surrendered to His Kingdom's purposes in good times and bad.

OnThe3rdDay Devotionals

Devotionals that illustrate Biblical principles in a simple and short format that can be applied to your everyday life.

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