Apostle Paul: an extremist for the Christian gospel

When I read Galatians 6:14-17, I immediately think of how Paul is surrendering his Earthly desires or habits in order to live in his new life.  Hearing the phrase “God forbid that I should boast about anything except for the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,” I think that means living a life that reflects Jesus’ lifestyle, rejecting Earthly habits that we are so prone to adapting, and not letting ourselves worship or boast about anything that does not glorify God. Reflecting on my own life, I already know just how I could do better. I tend to be consumed by my academic or social validation, and I tend to put a lot of worth into physical objects that I can obtain (such as cars, clothes, shoes, etc.).

The second sentence of this verse hints at how we SHOULD be approaching the World. As Paul is starting his new life in Christ, he is saying that whatever the World may say about him is crucified to Paul through the Lord, because Jesus has already died for Paul. Paul’s old self is essentially dead to the world, because he is now living a life that reflects Jesus Christ. The little things down here do not matter to Paul anymore now that he has an everlasting life in Heaven. Once you are found in Jesus, social status, academic validation, your new shoes, fancy car, whether you woke up at 8:00 a.m. or 8:02 a.m. this morning, none of this seems to consume you anymore. Now, as Paul says in Galatians 6:15, what matters is a new creation.

I wonder what my new creation of my new life would look like. My confession for the day: I am a podcast listener wanna-be. I once (emphasis on once) listened to a podcast about transforming your life into your dream life. The first tip they gave was to physically write in a journal what your dream life looked like. Where did you live? What color was your hair? What did your morning routine look like? While you may think this is extreme, Charles Kettering said: “A problem well-stated is half-solved”. My challenge to you is to physically write down what your new life in Christ would look like. Are you slower to anger? Do you attract kinder people? Are you a more compassionate boss? Are you a more thoughtful friend? Some of these new ways of life might include incorporating more integrity, kindness, compassion, or patience. If you are reading this, this is your reminder that whatever you just defined your “new life” as is 110% attainable. Doing this might be very uncomfortable for us, or maybe even more for the people around us. One random Tuesday this summer, I woke up and decided that I was going to be as nice to my little sister as I possibly could. I think it ended with her getting so uncomfortable she actually begged me to stop being “weird” towards her.

These are lighthearted examples, but this can also look like some very uncomfortable situations. Maybe that one work friend that listens to all your complaints wants to come to your desk and gossip tomorrow. Will you give in and gossip with them, or will you tell them that
gossiping does not have a place in your new life? Living as a new creation in Christ and sticking to the lifestyle that reflects Jesus Christ can be hard when people aren’t as understanding (or comfortable) with it yet. But relationships built on compassion and kindness are way stronger than relationships built on gossip and hatred. How do you trust in this new life in Jesus, and how will you stand on the rock of the Lord when the waters become uncomfortable?