April 4, 2023
If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
Thought:
Paul is explaining how to live together as a community of believers. He has just written that we must help carry each other's burdens (Galatians 6:1–2). What causes us not to do this? Pride. We see ourselves as self-reliant, not needing help to carry our load even when it gets too heavy for us. The problem with this thinking is that it leads to believing this lie: that we are more significant or stronger than other believers; that we don’t need the same kind of help and grace that others need. In truth, only Christ is strong enough to meet all of our needs, and all of our strength comes from God's Spirit. We must not fall into the trap of seeing ourselves as the source of our own ability to follow Jesus.
Note that Galatians 6:2 and Galatians 6:5 do not contradict each other when they say “carry each other’s burdens” and “each one should carry his own load.” Verse 2 speaks of an unsought and oppressive burden. And verse 5 uses a different word for burden – it describes a man’s pack, a load he is designed to bear. Thus, we should help one another bear the heavy burdens of life, but there are personal responsibilities that each man must bear for himself.
Application:
1. Romans 12:3-6 and 2 Corinthians 10:12-18 offer further insight for a correct view of oneself. Think about your view of yourself and what you measure yourself against.
2. What might be stopping you from fully engaging with the community of believers (the local church)?