"Here is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." - Galatians 3:28 NIV

One of the first questions we tend to ask someone we just meet is, "What is it that you do?" By "do," we mean what they do for work. The answer to the question, whether we admit it or not, determines what we think of them. If they reply, "I'm a doctor," our respect goes way up and we may even feel a bit insecure. It's easy for this harmless question to slip into a search for status. When someone has more education or a better job, we become insecure about our status. If someone has a wider network, we're left wondering about our status.

Paul, writing to the Galatians, dismantles the major status symbols and positions of his day. For him, a slave is on the same level as a free person. A Jew is on the same level as a Gentile. A woman is on the same level as a man. No one is above and no one is below. This is the case because before Christ we all were in a desperate situation, and in Christ we have been given more than we could ask or imagine. For Paul, the ultimate status symbol is not a new car or a great job, but the cross.

Let me pray for us: God, help me to believe that the only thing I need for significance is you. Keep me from insecurity and pride. Remind me of who I am in you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.