This Month’s Theme:
Walk In The Way of Freedom

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Galatians 5:13

Artist’s Reflection

Before knowing Jesus Christ, my life revolved around pleasing myself, and indulging in pride, selfishness, jealousy, and materialism. I was a slave to sin, and temptations got hold of me easily. 

But I was fortunate to have a mother who taught me how to walk in Christ, and siblings who guided me on how to grow spiritually—they helped me transform my life.

God has been important in my transformation journey too. He showed me His love and grace in many ways. He slowly transformed my heart to resist the sins that have long overruled it.

As I reflected on these changes in my heart, I finally understood the freedom He was saying in the Bible—the freedom from sin and death. I realised His unconditional love and unrelenting grace will always be greater than our sins and failures. Contemplating the things Jesus has done for me is humbling. 

May you and I constantly walk with Jesus every day. May love, joy, peace, patience and all the fruit of His spirit reign in our hearts as we live and serve others for His glory.

—Bea Barros

Join in the Conversation

These pandemic-stricken times has had us grasping for every opportunity to exercise our “freedom”. But in Christ, we’ve been offered a better form of freedom, one that isn’t tied to our physical restrictions or the uncertainty of the future. In Him, we are a new creation, free to enjoy all the good things He has created for us and to grab hold of the future He has for us. 

And most of all, we’re free to use what He has freely given us to serve our friends, our neighbours, and our communities in love (Galatians 5:13). So whether it’s sharing in their burdens, or sharing the gospel that had first set your heart free, let’s embrace our freedom and walk in the way of Christ. 

Burning with a story to share? We’d love to hear from you! Check out our writer’s guidelines and start typing!

Here are some subthemes to help you get started: 

  • Walk in the way of true freedom
  • Using our freedom wisely/for good
  • Humbly serving one another

Topics to Explore

Walk in the way of true freedom

Rejecting the way of the world, saying “no” to things that feel right but are bad for us, how we can enjoy the freedom God has given us, the habits/activities that lead bondage, being free to love and forgive, free from death, the joy of walking in freedom, being free from our self-destructive habits/ways (e.g., eating disorders, spiralling negative thoughts, self-condemnation), seeing ourselves the way God sees us, putting on our identities as children of God, unburdened by approval

Using our freedom wisely/for good

Bringing our sins to light (the freedom of confession & uprooting our healthy habits), surrendering our idols (things that have taken first place in our hearts),ambition at the workplace, examining our motives when serving others, accountability, mentoring, the lightness that comes from following Jesus, breaking free from our past and using our stories of redemption to help others, showing others a better life found in Jesus

Humbly serving one another 

Looking away from self towards others, helping others even when it’s costly and inconvenient, what sacrificial love looks like, serving in church, serving in our communities, serving as a way of preaching the Gospel, serving with boundaries in place, why we’re called to serve, the joy of serving one another, serving others out of a grateful heart that’s been set free

Join in the Fun

If you’re more of a visual person, you can be a part of the YMI community by contributing or tagging your artworks with our hashtag #ymitoday. Check out our creatives’ guidelines and send us your artworks.

We know you love your colours, so do we! Each quarter, we set a colour theme that we’ll work around. Use the colour palette below to increase your chances of getting featured!