Freedom From the Law You Create for Yourself
Freedom from the Law only comes by living in the grace of Christ. But what about the Law we create for ourselves? Is basing our wellbeing on self-imposed standards another form of slavery?
In Galatians chapter five, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For freedom Christ has set us free.” He goes on to encourage us, “stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
We try to live according to the Law just as much as Christians did in Paul’s time. It’s just that our “Law” is not something we pull from the Old Testament, but which we create ourselves—with a lot of help from culture. But our “Law” has the very same power to make us slaves and to cut us off from God and from grace.
So, what do I mean? Well, we create “Law” for ourselves when we allow something in this world, when we give something power, to define our self-worth or self-approval. We create “Law” when we set up rules in our lives (and not just religious rules) and then measure our self-worth according to whether or not we meet them. We create “Law” when we create rules like, “I’m okay with myself when I am thin.” “I’m okay when I have enough money in the bank.” “I’m okay when I am performing at a certain level at work or when I am earning the approval of my boss.” “I’m okay when my kids are performing at a certain level in school or in athletics.” “I’m okay when I am getting done everything on my ‘to do’ list.” “I’m okay when my spouse and I are connected and communicating well.” “I’m okay when _____.”
These things become our “Law”—and, as such, our attitudes, our wellbeing, our self-worth or self-acceptance or self-approval become subject to them.
But notice, these are all good things in and of themselves, and we can enjoy all of them for the good things they are, but they become “Law,” and they become destructive, when we allow them to define our self-worth.