February 4, 2025

Romans 6:1-11  (HCSB)
The New Life in Christ
6 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life. 5 For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over Him. 10 For in light of the fact that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in light of the fact that He lives, He lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Sarah Ricciardi
Dead and alive. Seems impossible to be both. I have a mentor who says “Saying no to one thing allows you to say yes to another.” (Okay, maybe I made that one up, but I’m pretty sure it’s a mix of advice from Jesus-loving women in my world.) If I married Paul’s words above with theirs it might read, “saying no to sin allows me to say yes to freedom in Christ.” Do I walk as a woman set free? Too often I trudge. Trudge out of bed, out the door. Putting on my game face throughout the work day, only to trudge through the door at home. One task to the next. Internally, I can moan my not-enoughness, my faults, my scrapes. As if somehow God Almighty (who reigns over everything, right?) is incapable of pivoting me or placing me, using my bumps as turning points to His grace, reflecting His glory especially through my cracked places. (Insert head smack.) I am free. Walk like it, Sarah! I am free! We, children of God, are free! Free to pause and hear God say, “Call your neighbor.” “Eat an unexpected lunch with your daughter.” “Sit with Jason a minute longer over My Word." I am free to be defined by Jesus, not my performance or production. We are free to truly live out THIS day, THIS moment, listening to our Savior through the power of the Holy Spirit to interrupt our agendas with His best choices. As I write this reminder to myself, I can almost hear a quiet questioning, “But what will they think?” I am not saying abandon work, chuck it all and move aimlessly through life. I am talking about the most excellent way of intentional living. Do what God has assigned for you to do—your job, your roles within your family, within your community—yet do them inviting Him to give you the “how”. Sometimes “they” may think you’re weird. They may critique you, even throw out a bad review or two. Are you God’s child? Then His is the only opinion you need to heed. We, Children who’ve asked Jesus to take away our sins, are alive in Him. He who defied death, who lives forever, and chose you.