There are so many opportunities for comparison in our technological age.
You may not be someone that struggles with it, I don't, but that doesn't erase the constant opportunity to look at another's life. Let me make that point more clear- just because you don't struggle with something doesn't mean there isn't still opportunity to be affected by it.
Listen- I'm talking to those of you that aren't toe-ing the line with social media (among other things). You have a solid identity in Jesus and you're genuinely happy with your life and who you are...I know there's many in this space and I am so grateful to the Lord for what He is doing on a macro-level with identity.....yet-
I'm finding this to be the exact place of strength that is becoming the opportunity for either confidence or arrogance to be displayed in our lives.
Confidence, biblical confidence, is built on trust in God. Arrogance and pride are built on trust in self. The root matters because when we have formed identity in Jesus, we will be tested to reveal where our foundations lay. True identity is not measured in accolades, titles, followers, likes, pleasure, wealth or position. It is those that have developed a relationship with the Lord that will be trusted with the aforementioned BECAUSE they do not define who they are. These people don't trust themselves, they trust Jesus in them.
As a believer, if all things are good gifts from God, I can trust Him with what He wants to do with the gift. I don't have a solid grip, if you will, on material items and worldly accolades. This is important because the Lord has a funny way of doing things backwards, illogically and downright weird to form and test our relationship with Him so that we aren't led astray.
What's my point in this with the last chapter of Galatians?
Ya'll....we need to be extra aware that in our own relationship and process with Christ that we don't develop a self-image that inflates us over our brothers and sisters. We need to be aware that our places of strength don't become the places we are better than one another, but the very areas we are able to help one another. God's differing favor on each of our lives does not demonstrate differing levels of love He has for each of us. His love his complete and whole, but his favor is given according to our capacity. Therefore, it is an error to believe that anything you have in this life somehow makes you better than anyone around you. It simply means that God has entrusted you with a certain aspect of His plan that benefits EVERYONE. So, we get these opportunities in our life based on our loads, in love, to pursue and love Jesus so that we can love one another. Isn't this profound?
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.
Galatians 6:1-5
How often do you see this play out in our church communities? Where "cancel culture" is generally abhorred is the exact places it occurs. Paul says If ANYONE is caught in ANY transgression... Isn't it interesting that Paul doesn't specify a position or particular person? He addresses the whole group. He goes further to describe "you who are spiritual should restore them in gentleness". I believe Paul makes this assertion based on his knowledge of the different realms we exist in. He's saying, "since you recognize from a spiritual vantage point the behavior in question doesn't line up with the kingdom, it's your opportunity to restore this person to the truth." A spiritual awareness is not a worldly awareness- when you recognize sin, it doesn't mean you're better it means you are responsible in relationship to restore that situation back to kingdom. That is quite a perspective for me. It's not my duty to find and correct sin, it's an opportunity for me to gently restore a brother or sister back to God's plan. It is a completely different thing to correct than to discipline.
I'd go further to suggest that this isn't generally a 5 minute prayer if Paul is warning us about temptation. This is doing life with people and being ready to restore one another as we get it wrong. Did you get that? We're going to get it wrong. We're going to fail. We're going to go off track, but it's ok! The motivation of most of us is not to intentionally do this, yet in our process it is inevitable and Jesus made sure that we wouldn't be alone along the journey both with His Spirit and with one another.
A new commandment I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another John 13:34-35 NIV
These were Jesus' words. This was the fulfillment of the law according to Him. Paul says this looks like "bearing one another's burdens." Loving one another looks like bearing each other's hardships. It looks like gently restoring the people around you as they do the same for you in life. I don't think this meant reprimanding per se, I believe that Paul chose to include this in his letter so that a culture of connection would be established in stead of religious expectation. Paul recognized the process of relationship with Jesus and recognized the need for each person to value not knowledge, but God's desire to love everyone and increase Himself in all at everyone's allotted and appointed discretion.
It's my current understanding that while God loves us all unconditionally and equally- the favor and opportunity in our lives is absolutely measured and differing. He has given us each a portion to steward and handle according to His design, but each of our portions is not to be measured against another's as the only person we are accountable to with the portion we were given is God, Himself. That means whether you have wisdom, money, influence, fame- make sure you are serving the Lord and his plans with it because whatever you have has been given on purpose is for His purpose.....if you think you have none of these things, you are in danger of burying your allotment. Matthew 25:14-30 My point is, if you measure anything in your life against another brother or sister rather than steward it with God, you'll miss the fullness of what God intended.
What's the fullness?
It's become increasingly more highlighted in my life the way that I love the people around me. The motivation for why I love them. God has challenged me to see people as He sees them and not to view anyone at any stage of relationship or lack there of with Jesus as a project over a person. People are meant to be loved, not changed. Change is in Jesus' hands and the person's choice. My lot in relationship is to love.
Now. I don't believe that love is some undefinable fluid term without boundary. We love because Christ first loved us- that love looked past sin to restored connection and relationship. That love fought for truth even when we didn't recognize or see it. That love IS Jesus and any definition or persuasion that interjects any quality, feeling, or suggestion that is not in line with who Jesus says He is- it not love.
How do we learn to love? That's been on my heart. I want to love like Jesus loves. I want my heart and mind to respond as He does, organically- not practiced or rehearsed. I want to know how to carry the burdens of those around me as He has allotted me to do. I want to know how to gently restore those that I have relationally equity with- knowing how to do this not only in words, but in demonstration. I want to be more like Jesus, don't you?
The more I get to know Him the more I realize how indescribably more there is to know.
He never meant for us to leverage our knowledge or experience of Him against each other. He gave us eternal life to forever enjoy intimate relationship with Him and then observe and be blessed by the different facets in this same process of life with those around us. Not a competition for his favor or love, but a full orchestration of it displayed in all of humankind.
Which leads me to, How have we all seen ourselves in this life? Do you consider yourself important? Influential? How have you measured yourself and by what means have you measured? Are you to thank for your accomplishments? Is it by your sweat and your tears that you have managed to get to where you are? Are you owed your position? These are really important questions we can all ask ourselves because they will bring you quickly to the reality of where your heart is. You will find confidence in Christ or pride.
But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will bear his own load.
If we ask ourselves these questions, we test our work. When I ask myself these questions, it is clear as glass that the Lord has been my portion and it has been His faithfulness that has brought any and all good things to me, even in my participation. That's the reason I am able to boast in the testimonies in my life. Not on the merit of my obedience, faith, courage, hard work, etc. but on Jesus in me and His resolution to get all the things done He promised in and through me- I don't need anyone else's life to validate or measure His faithfulness in mine, each of us have our own unique load. Not to be compared or contrasted, but to be carried with Jesus.
So.
While comparison can be easily seen and discussed in the multitude of areas we began this conversation with, I want us to reflect on our own relationship with the Lord today. Have we leveraged our knowledge or experience of Him against one another? Have we loved our neighbors as ourselves? Have we gently restored one another or cancelled friends and acquaintances for much less than we see in the media? Have we assessed one another's "loads" instead of learning to steward and carry the things Jesus intended us for? Do we know how much we are wholly, completely loved? And out of that--
Are we learning to love?
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