Galatians 5:1 — “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then…”

Mid‑January has a way of slowing us down. The early sparkle of the new year fades, the days are still short, and we often find ourselves caught between what we hoped for and what actually is. In this gentle pause, Paul’s words arrive like a steadying hand on the shoulder: Christ has set you free. Not “will set you free someday,” not “might set you free if you try harder,” but has — already, decisively, lovingly. This freedom is not fragile. It doesn’t depend on our momentum, our motivation, or our ability to keep every resolution intact. It is rooted in Christ’s finished work, not our unfinished selves.

And so Paul invites us: stand firm.

Stand firm when old habits tug at your ankles. Stand firm when the familiar voices of fear or comparison try to reclaim space in your mind.

Stand firm when January feels heavy, when the year ahead seems long, or when you’re tempted to measure your worth by your productivity. Freedom in Christ is not a feeling that comes and goes with the weather; it is a foundation beneath your feet, a truth that holds even when you feel wobbly.

This midpoint of the month can be a quiet gift — a moment to breathe, to notice where we’ve drifted, and to gently return

to the freedom Christ has already secured.

We don’t walk into the rest of the year trying to earn God’s approval; we walk from a place of belovedness, steadied by grace, strengthened by the Spirit who keeps working in us long after our own energy dips.

21/1/26 Rev. Suzie Gallagher