The Mag - WMU

The Curse
by Libby Quigg
My feet are under a curse. After more
than a decade of pointe shoes, my toes
barely resemble a human foot. I have lost
toe nails on several occasions, bled and
blistered every toe from the joint to the
tip, and broken toes without knowing it so
they have healed in strange ways.
In the past ten years, major advances
have been made in protecting a dancer’s
foot while in those “torture boots,” but I
am not that impressed with the results.
Now, I’ve managed to avoid pointe
shoes for the past four years, but the
calluses are still there. A foot massage is
completely useless, because I can’t feel it.
Peep-toe heels are something I can’t wear
because the toe peeping out looks gangly.
As it goes, the better the ballet dancer,
the uglier the feet. Ironically, the most
graceful movers in this world are hiding
their gnarly toes beneath pink satin
slippers. Similarly, a person who follows
God’s law may have a life filled with good
works, but without faith they are cursed.
In Galatians 3:10–18, Paul talked about
Abraham and even quoted different Old
Testament passages:
• The curse occurs because the law is
impossible to follow. If one command is
broken, then everything is lost. “Cursed
is everyone who does not continue to
do everything written in the Book of
the Law” (Gal. 3:10b; quoting Deut.
27:26).
• The curse occurs because the law is
not based on faith. It may encourage
faith and life, but it is not based on it.
“The law is not based on faith; on the
contrary, it says, ‘The person who does
these things will live by them’” (Gal.
3:12; quoting
Lev. 18:5).
• The answer to the curse has already
come: Jesus Christ redeems us from
being under the curse. “He redeemed
us in order that the blessing given to
Abraham might come to the Gentiles
through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we
might receive the promise of the Spirit”
(Gal. 3:14). Faith in Jesus Christ is the
beginning of an abundance of blessings.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
the heavenly realms with every spiritual
blessing in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
• Before the law, God made a promise
with Abraham. Abraham believed that
promise. “For if the inheritance depends
on the law, then it no longer depends
on the promise; but God in his grace
gave it to Abraham through a promise”
(Gal. 3:18).
Before Christ, everyone was under the
curse of the law. If you followed the law,
you were cursed because it was impossible
to follow it perfectly. If you did not follow
the law, you were cursed for not following
the law. Because of Christ, everyone can
believe. Everyone can be free of the curse.
Everyone can be blessed. Everyone can be
a child of God. Read Galatians 3:23–29.
How has your faith in Jesus Christ
transformed your life from cursed to
blessed?
What are some blessings you experience
now?
What are some blessings you hope to
experience in the future?
Today’s Challenge: Take a moment
to praise God for all the blessings. Sing
a song. Write a poem. Draw a picture.
Take a photograph. Do a dance. Use
your unique abilities to express your joy
about God’s blessings.
Libby Quigg is a writer, guitarist, and dancer.
She teaches missions to the children and
Acteens ® in her church and community.
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