I guess we'd better wind up Galatians, don't you think? Last time we were there, it was before my "locusts" post. Now, we are in chapter 6, verses 4 & 5. I already included these verses in a previous post, but did not focus on them.
4-5 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
The Message
In real time, when this post is being written, we are in the throes of an American presidential race. The lifeblood of politics is that the candidates compare and contrast themselves with their opponents or competitors, in order to stand out from the crowd and earn the most approval, the most votes. Of necessity, that is the nature of politics.
Unfortunately, we tend to take that same way of doing and apply it to our Christian lives. We think other Christians should think or believe like us on matters of personal conviction (in the New Testament an example was whether to eat meat offered to idols, or not). If they don't, we get all tangled up in ourselves. We compare ourselves and our Christian experiences with others. If our path does not track alongside someone's whom we admire, we think we are a hopeless failure. We waste a lot of time evaluating and criticizing each other, out loud and face-to-face...or not. It consumes so much of our energy!
Last night I was at a Bible study with other adults from our church and also the young adult college students we mentor in the faith. It was a tremendous blessing! My friend who was teaching totally led us into a time of worship, personal reflection and excitement about our God. My fleshly nature's first response was this: (ok, I'm being totally transparent here) - - - "Well, we should just ask her to teach all the time! She teaches circles around me." Yep, that old flesh just leapt right up there and brought out the nasty. Right? Oh, ok, I know - - - it has never happened to you. LOL!
At that very same event, within the hour, another adult leader was excitedly exclaiming over what God has put on her heart to share at our upcoming girls conference: www.pillarsgirlsconference.com . I didn't say anything, but here came that old fleshly nature again - - - "I'm so frustrated because God has not led me to do a breakout at the conference!"
It should be obvious to you that neither of these responses was the mark of a godly woman, albeit an honest one...
Today's scripture tells us that such reactions may (allright, WILL) happen. They did to the Galatians too! But, when we feel that carnal response beginning, we are to remind ourselves of God's commands in his Word and do the following:
1. Seek God about your own spiritual gifts and find (or reaffirm) His calling to you concerning the spiritual work you've been given.
Now, let me stop right here for a minute. Suppose you read that and you thought, "What gifts? What calling?" I've addressed this in other blog posts, and I'll reference them under the Sources: section at the bottom of the post. In short, however, all Christians have a "gift set" from the Holy Spirit, and we all have work given to us by Him, for the express purpose of furthering His kingdom. I'm not talking about your "day-job", unless you work in full-time ministry. (I told you about mine in today's first paragraph.) No, if you aren't doing some kind of part-time ministry to advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ, you are not walking resplendent. Instead you are walking in disobedience, which brings on you a whole host of other complications and, usually, flat-out problems. I don't care how young or how old you are, either. Mamas, we need to be training our children from a very young age to give-back in service to the Lord Jesus, even when toddlers are too young to actually make a decision to accept Him as Savior and Lord. Older folks, don't give me that guff about you being too old to do anything. That's an excuse. I am quickly joining your ranks, but everyone can do something. Find it, and "sink yourself into it". Let me move on now before I get all bothered.
2. Don't be overly impressed with yourself.
This is another unfortunate by-product of comparing yourself with a Christian brother or sister. (Remember, Paul is talking to the Galatians about their dealings with other Christians.) If we don't think our gifts or callings are superior to those of others, then we take the complete opposite tack, believing ourselves to be not worth a dime for God's kingdom. Both are sinful attitudes/judgments. The first is produced by sinful pride, and the second by a failure to recognize who each believer is in Jesus Christ. (See item #1 above.) Paul exhorts us to simply not compare ourselves with each other. Period. In verse 5 he explains that, if we just tend to our own business, doing the creative best we can with our own lives, we'll have our hands full. There'll be no room for "busybodying" ourselves, poking our noses into other believers' gifts and callings.
3. Tote your own pack.
That's an almost literal translation from the J.B. Phillips New Testament. "Tote", "shoulder", whatever.
When my son #2 went to a 12-day wilderness excursion nearly 2 years ago, he had to pass a physical. One of the items asked the physician to evaluate whether or not my son was physically able to hike for miles with a heavy load of camping equipment on his back. Each young man on the trip had to shoulder his own load. No one could shoulder all of his and all of his neighbors' as well. It was a rigorous endeavor for those young men.
And so it is with God's callings to us. In fact, I truly believe that if God's calling to you is not a little bit challenging or scary or difficult for you, it's probably not from God. After all, if you could do it with almost no effort, why do you need to depend on God in the first place?
Paul is saying here in verse 5 that we need to focus on our own stuff, yet helping our neighbors as they have need. If we as a Body are not willing to walk the path we have been given by the Lord, it is unreasonable to expect a brother or sister to walk it for us.
I feel like closing with two quotes.
"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."
Ernest Hemingway
"Every time you compare yourself to others, you kill a piece of who you are."
Humble the Poet
Blessed Lord! Please deliver us from the entanglement of comparisons. In Jesus' name, amen.
Sources:
http://thepoetproject.tumblr.com/post/63050057678/every-time-you-compare-yourself-to-others-you
Gifts, Small and Great
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To Each His Own
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Decently and in Order
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