Galatians 6:4-5 – Our Responsibility

“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 6:4-5)

What a great reminder to take a self-check right now. Paul is giving us permission, encouraging us to do so in this moment. Each time we claim this verse and live it out, we can make sure we’re taking care of our own faith business before we try and change the world or, worse yet, compare ourselves to others.

Context (Galatians 6:1-10): Paul is handling some sensitive subjects here in chapter 6. Namely, the harvest of those seeds we plant both in ourselves and in others. We’ll face temptation and plenty of opportunities to do the wrong thing in God’s eyes. Paul is hoping to help us thwart those inevitable missteps.

What kind of work do you do? Do you ever incorporate your faith with your career or job? Some people can’t, but then, in my experience, when you work in a church or publish devotional books and do missionary work, it seems my faith is always on my mind. For me, that’s a good thing because there are plenty of distractions keeping us busy if we let them.

If we’re cautioned to take responsibility for our conduct, what does that mean exactly? Are we supposed to live like slaves to the law, like some Bible thumpers do? If we read God’s word, we begin to see the answer to that more and more. Jesus came to fulfill the law so we are no longer in chains. However, we are armed with the knowledge of what pleases God, and because of our love and devotion, we want to please Him.

These verses caution us not to look at the next guy, then, with critical eyes. We’re to worry only about ourselves and hope that they get the message to worry about themselves. Our work may involve sharing our own testimonies to help others, and nobody can take our stories from us.

The part about comparing ourselves to others is an area I can resonate with greatly. There has always been someone who I have been a bit jealous of. I know that feeling isn’t from God, so I have done my best to cleanse myself of those kinds of feelings. This verse tells us how we can do that. We simply need to be “all in” to our own journey feeling like we have done our best.

Sounds simple, but it’s hard. Thankfully, we have Paul’s counsel here to encourage and cheer us on. When we start to focus more on our own faith journey, how can we spend more time getting to know our Savior? The easier it is to feel good about life. There’s peace that comes from being mindful of our thoughts and actions.

Let’s pray. Lord, forgive me for when I lose focus of my purpose and drift from you. Help me to stand firm against the distractions that so easily invade my day. I know the evil one is crafty that way, and I want to do a better job at defending my time. Thank you for the joy you provide, which has helped me to be content in my own place in this world. I haven’t always had this peace. You are my all in all. In Jesus’ name. Amen.