Friday, June 12, 2015

Doing Good

Galatians 6:2-10


Carry each others' burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

When a brother or sister feels overwhelmed with all they are facing, they need someone to come alongside them to help them shoulder the burden, to help them take care of fulfilling the responsibilities they face and give them encouragement.

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

If I start to get a "big head" over something God has enabled me to accomplish, then I'm lying to myself, and taking the credit, the glory that belongs to God.

Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else.

It is never right or beneficial to compare  myself with anyone else, because God has gifted us all according to His plan for each of us. So If I am better at something than you are, that only means that you are better than I am with something else.

For each one should carry his own load.

I need to take responsibility to get off my chair and do the everyday things that are my responsibility, and not look for or expect someone else to do for me what I am fully capable of doing for myself.

Anyone who receives instruction in the Word must share all good things with his instructor.

If I am learning and growing through the teachings of my pastoral team, then I must give my tithe to my church (or if not, then find another church!). If I am benefitting from the counsel of another, or through a radio or TV station, or been helped by others in whatever venue, then I must consider helping them also with whatever God has given me to share.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

When God created this world, He made everything that reproduces to make another like itself; so that an apple seed will grow another apple tree, and a butterfly will produce another butterfly, and a dog will have puppies. You cannot expect to plant an apple seed and get puppies!

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature (the flesh) will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

The same principle also applies in the spiritual realm, that exists invisibly among us all the time. So if we ignore the Spirit of God and the spiritual realm among us and do everything we do only to care for our physical well being and comfort, then we will be destroyed when God destroys this physical Earth. But if we consider that God gave each of us a spirit that He wants to make alive by His Spirit, and live our lives to build a spiritual wealth of treasure, then that spiritual "savings account" will last forever to sustain us in our eternal "retirement."

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

I don't want to give up on doing the everyday, ordinary things that are mine to accomplish, or the work I've been given to do, or the people in my life to encourage. Even if I don't see any return for my efforts, that only means that the season for harvest hasn't come yet, but it will. So I need to hang on and persevere, trusting God to bring on that season in His time.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

So, considering this whole passage, I need to always do what is right and beneficial to everyone whose life touches mine, in any way I can, anytime I can, to whoever I can, especially to my spiritual and physical family members--as my witness to the world.