In Kampala, we live in a culture that loves upgrades. Whether it is our phones, our workspaces, or our creative projects, we are constantly looking for the next addition that will make things better. But when it comes to our relationship with God, we often bring this same transaction-driven mindset. We start our journey with simple faith, but soon we begin searching for extra things to add. Paul was deeply grieved by this tendency. He asked the believers in Galatia, "who has bewitched you not to obey the truth" because they were turning away from the simplicity of Christ's sacrifice.
It is easy to fall into this trap today. When we face tough situations like unpaid bills, slow creative seasons, or family challenges, we get anxious. We might get tempted by preachers who tell us that our faith is incomplete unless we buy a certain blessed item, sow a specific financial seed, or fast in a way that forces God's hand. We start acting as if our sweat can complete what Jesus started. To this, Paul asks us a direct question: "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?"
Our Christian life is sustained the very same way it began. We cannot manipulate the Creator of the universe with our performance or our money. When we rely on these extra-biblical rituals to secure His favor, we are underestimating the cross. Paul warns us about this danger, asking, "Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh?" Let us rest today in the truth that Christ's sacrifice was completely sufficient. Our prayers and spiritual disciplines are beautiful ways to know Him, not currencies to buy His love. His grace is already entirely ours.