Galatians 6:1-18
6:1 We are meant to use our wisdom and our experience to help redirect wrongdoing rather than merely reprove it. When we know better, we are expected to do better and to do better, we have to exercise patience with others who do not.
We do not have the authority to decide if a person is worthy of our kindness, patience, and truth. Creation has already established that each expression of life is worthy of those things. We all observe life and have opinions but it is our judgement that tarnishes our character. When we personally decide that a person is not worthy of our best qualities, we arrogantly give ourselves the authority to demean. Sometimes a person we interact with truly is behaving awfully, but how we respond to them is our boldest proclamation against their behavior. Do we hypocritically adopt their own negative qualities? Do we lose our own temper? We must not... and yet when we are not careful, we do.
6:2 All of humanity are classmates. Our group projects are just as important as our individual work. Working inside of a group is challenging as we are forced to figure out our disagreements, divisions of labor, and varying opinions. Yet the hardest task within group-work is having to equally shoulder slack, blame and deficiency. Paul's advise here is to emulate Jesus's life and absorb selflessness. Paul urges us to stop pointing fingers and to start uses our whole hands to get work done.
6:3 We are loved as individuals but we exist in a group. Pomposity temporarily elevates the individual's psyche but actually achieves nothing. Conceit is a distraction; through humility are our eyes able to see all of the work here to be done.
6:4 Examine yourself. Too often we are looking outward for all that is wrong with our lives and the world. If you are going to meticulously observe someone, let it be yourself. How can you improve? It is constructive.
6:5 Why examine yourself? Because we are responsible for ourselves. Created as individuals. Born into a group. How we protect, nourish, support, empathize with the group is the living definition of the character of our spirit. Matthew 7:2, our treatment of others becomes the treatment of ourselves. We determine our path and subsequently, our destination.
We do not have the authority to decide if a person is worthy of our kindness, patience, and truth. Creation has already established that each expression of life is worthy of those things. We all observe life and have opinions but it is our judgement that tarnishes our character. When we personally decide that a person is not worthy of our best qualities, we arrogantly give ourselves the authority to demean. Sometimes a person we interact with truly is behaving awfully, but how we respond to them is our boldest proclamation against their behavior. Do we hypocritically adopt their own negative qualities? Do we lose our own temper? We must not... and yet when we are not careful, we do.
6:2 All of humanity are classmates. Our group projects are just as important as our individual work. Working inside of a group is challenging as we are forced to figure out our disagreements, divisions of labor, and varying opinions. Yet the hardest task within group-work is having to equally shoulder slack, blame and deficiency. Paul's advise here is to emulate Jesus's life and absorb selflessness. Paul urges us to stop pointing fingers and to start uses our whole hands to get work done.
6:3 We are loved as individuals but we exist in a group. Pomposity temporarily elevates the individual's psyche but actually achieves nothing. Conceit is a distraction; through humility are our eyes able to see all of the work here to be done.
6:4 Examine yourself. Too often we are looking outward for all that is wrong with our lives and the world. If you are going to meticulously observe someone, let it be yourself. How can you improve? It is constructive.
6:5 Why examine yourself? Because we are responsible for ourselves. Created as individuals. Born into a group. How we protect, nourish, support, empathize with the group is the living definition of the character of our spirit. Matthew 7:2, our treatment of others becomes the treatment of ourselves. We determine our path and subsequently, our destination.
6:6 Our creator is more than generous, our creator is generosity. The manifestation of it. We are taught and prodded toward compassion in order for us to learn how to receive it, to become enveloped in it. We are not told how to live, we are told how to live happily.
6:7 There is a perceived absence of God among many people today in the world. People confuse the actions of humans to be the inaction of God. Paul assures us that that is not the reality. Injustice is confronted by itself at the culmination of its life. What we do is what we receive and while we can find immense comfort in that, adversity can only find fear.
6:8 Think of it this way: at the culmination of our lives on earth, God is handing out goody-bags. We are each going to look inside our bag and we are going to find only that which we put out into the world. That is not a threat, in fact it is meant to be an encouragement. Your good thoughts, words and actions are returned to you. Even if nobody else ever appreciated them, God saw them and supplies them in heaps back to you.
Yet it can easily be perceived as a punishment because adversity, unjust people will look into their bag and they aren't going to find much "goody." It is not actually a punishment because it is our own hands which fill the bags, even though we might not have realized while on earth.
When you give your spirituality to humanity and the earth, spirituality pulses life into you. When you give yourself to the corruption of the world, corruption deteriorates you.
6:9 It is amazing how well Paul can relate to us as well as he could relate to the Galatians so many decades before us. We do become disheartened at times. Sometimes our best intentions are unrealized, ignored, neglected, underappreciated. Paul reminds us that we cannot lose heart because even though we may not perceive any appreciation, it is there... and also returned to us. You and God navigate life together, during every stage, in any manner of existence. There is always One who knows you and sees you and appreciates you. Your life and life's work is not wasted.
6:10 When you see an opportunity to do good, seize it; the door might have been opened just for you. Do good to all because that is the example you give and leave to humanity. Your life impacts the circumstances here on earth. Be conscious of how you are influencing the people around you: family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers.
6:7 There is a perceived absence of God among many people today in the world. People confuse the actions of humans to be the inaction of God. Paul assures us that that is not the reality. Injustice is confronted by itself at the culmination of its life. What we do is what we receive and while we can find immense comfort in that, adversity can only find fear.
6:8 Think of it this way: at the culmination of our lives on earth, God is handing out goody-bags. We are each going to look inside our bag and we are going to find only that which we put out into the world. That is not a threat, in fact it is meant to be an encouragement. Your good thoughts, words and actions are returned to you. Even if nobody else ever appreciated them, God saw them and supplies them in heaps back to you.
Yet it can easily be perceived as a punishment because adversity, unjust people will look into their bag and they aren't going to find much "goody." It is not actually a punishment because it is our own hands which fill the bags, even though we might not have realized while on earth.
When you give your spirituality to humanity and the earth, spirituality pulses life into you. When you give yourself to the corruption of the world, corruption deteriorates you.
6:9 It is amazing how well Paul can relate to us as well as he could relate to the Galatians so many decades before us. We do become disheartened at times. Sometimes our best intentions are unrealized, ignored, neglected, underappreciated. Paul reminds us that we cannot lose heart because even though we may not perceive any appreciation, it is there... and also returned to us. You and God navigate life together, during every stage, in any manner of existence. There is always One who knows you and sees you and appreciates you. Your life and life's work is not wasted.
6:10 When you see an opportunity to do good, seize it; the door might have been opened just for you. Do good to all because that is the example you give and leave to humanity. Your life impacts the circumstances here on earth. Be conscious of how you are influencing the people around you: family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers.
6:11-13 A cautioning from Paul: do not let yourself be easily malleable. There are people and institutions which take pleasure in controlling you and diminishing your personal thought and power. There are people and institutions which crave power, wealth and celebrity.
Moreover do not become fearful or entangled in the rules and customs of branches of religions. Focus on your spirit and how you interact with humanity, those are the only determinants of your character and your destination.
If a religion tells you to touch your toes every morning to show reverence of God and you do it, every single morning... but then leave the house and harass His children all day, do you truly revere Him? Paul urges us to use our common sense logic.
6:14 Paul retains his humility. His life's work is a devotion to God and to the well-being of us, his earthly-classmates and spiritual-brothers-and-sisters.
6:15 The minute details of religion manifest nothing. Our actions manifest what truly matters.
Moreover do not become fearful or entangled in the rules and customs of branches of religions. Focus on your spirit and how you interact with humanity, those are the only determinants of your character and your destination.
If a religion tells you to touch your toes every morning to show reverence of God and you do it, every single morning... but then leave the house and harass His children all day, do you truly revere Him? Paul urges us to use our common sense logic.
6:14 Paul retains his humility. His life's work is a devotion to God and to the well-being of us, his earthly-classmates and spiritual-brothers-and-sisters.
6:15 The minute details of religion manifest nothing. Our actions manifest what truly matters.
6:16 Paul wishes godspeed to those of us who through our spirituality (however it may exist or have come to exist) bring justice and peace to the earth. Peace and mercy to the children of God who began many years ago as a group, the house of Israel (unrelated to the country on our maps).
6:17 "From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Draw strength from this verse. The ancestors of humanity have endured and passed life onto us. While we hold the baton, run. Run with joy, with good intention, with faith. Jesus came alive when He gave his earthly-life away for our benefit. He came here despite knowing it would be taken... the reward was well worth the risk. Just as He is alive and thriving despite adversity, because He gave His life to confront adversity, so are you and so will you be.
6:18 Paul speaks specifically to our spirit. This conclusion to his letter subtly reminds us that we are more than our bodies. He reminds us to delve deeply into ourselves to discover and then establish our core. To focus our spirit and nourish it with good work (compassionate actions) during our lives.
6:17 "From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Draw strength from this verse. The ancestors of humanity have endured and passed life onto us. While we hold the baton, run. Run with joy, with good intention, with faith. Jesus came alive when He gave his earthly-life away for our benefit. He came here despite knowing it would be taken... the reward was well worth the risk. Just as He is alive and thriving despite adversity, because He gave His life to confront adversity, so are you and so will you be.
6:18 Paul speaks specifically to our spirit. This conclusion to his letter subtly reminds us that we are more than our bodies. He reminds us to delve deeply into ourselves to discover and then establish our core. To focus our spirit and nourish it with good work (compassionate actions) during our lives.
