Galatians 5:13

Devotional Thoughts

By David Wilkerson

We gloss over certain truths in the Bible because we don't understand their meaning - and for years we miss the power of these passages. For example, Scripture tells us:

"...by love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13).

And:

"(Submit) yourselves one to another in the fear of God" (Ephesians 5:21).

How many of us really know what it means to serve one another in love? And how are we supposed to submit to one another in the fear of God? It's easy enough to understand how a wife is to submit to the spiritual authority of a godly husband. And the same is true for children submitting to godly parents. But in what practical ways do we serve and submit to one another in the house of God?

I believe that if we understand what Jesus did in washing His disciples' feet, we will understand these concepts of service and submission. You see, serving one another in love and submitting to one another in godly fear mean much more than taking orders from or being accountable to a higher authority.

Can you imagine a church filled with such caring people — who refuse to hear a single word about another's dirt; who hurt when another hurts; who rally around every despairing, fault-ridden brother or sister with a word of love and hope?