“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 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.”
Galatians 6:1-5 NLT
The Galatians were struggling with the concept of Christian legalism in their fellowship. This was being cultivated by teachers who focused on law keeping rather than grace giving. It was no surprise that the local church in Galatia began to fracture as people emphasized keeping a watchful eye on the works of others as a means to climb the social and spiritual ladder of progress. Here Paul spells it out plainly. This type of competition is morally wrong. We are not to watch and judge as others struggle with their heavy burdens. We are to help and struggle with them. One of the the things Paul notes is that those who watch to judge are often as guilty as those who openly struggle. This is a doorway to secretly entering that same sin cultivated by our own pride. We are not to think ourselves better than those who struggle with sin, but to think ourselves fortunate of God’s grace. This should inspire us to extend that grace to those in their struggles. It is this practice that will build our community of faith into a proper reflection of who God is.
JOSH McGARY. COM 