Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.
Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.
Galatians 6:1-5
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The Holy Spirit gives us an incredibly important instruction in Galatians 6:4. And immediately following the instruction, he provides a life-giving promise. One that we would all benefit from experiencing.
Let’s look at the instruction first. He tells us, “Each one should test their own actions.”
By this, God is calling us to constantly evaluate our motivations to make sure they are honest and true. Our decisions should not be for selfish gain, but every action we take should be selfless in nature—aimed at furthering the Kingdom of God both in our lives and in our world.
This includes our actions at work, in our community, with our spouse, family, financial decisions, and even how we choose to spend our time—all of them. God calls us to not just live righteous lives on the outside, but to test our motivations behind those decisions. A weighty, heavy challenge that requires constant contemplation no doubt.
But the Holy Spirit, through Paul, doesn’t just leave with us the instruction. He attaches a promise—and it is an incredible one!
He writes, “Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.”
Did you catch that? The amazing promise offered to us is this: when we test our actions and ensure they are motivated by our desire to serve God, we find pride in our work AND overcome the temptation to compare ourselves to others.
What a way to live! Not comparing our lives to others, but feeling pride in how we lived each day! I can think of no greater feeling in the world.
We are all called to different good works in the Kingdom of God—each of us have been given unique gifts, experiences, talents, and relationships. Our role is not to desire someone else’s role but to fulfill our own with integrity and faithfulness. When we focus on our calling and test our actions to ensure they align with God’s purposes, we find contentment.
Because when we do, we know we are doing exactly what God has called us to do.
Comparison is a common struggle, both inside and outside the Church. We look at others and feel inadequate or sometimes prideful. But when we follow through on this instruction—testing our actions—we overcome the comparison trap. We find joy in knowing we are faithful to our unique calling.
Let’s ensure our motivations are pure and aimed at glorifying God. In doing so, we will find great contentment and overcome the temptation to compare ourselves to others.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, remind me daily to test my actions. Teach me how to do that well, so I might take pride in my life and overcome comparison to others. Accomplish this in me through your Holy Spirit, Amen.