Galatians 6:1-18

Galatians 6:1-18
1 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. 2 Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. 3 If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. 4 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. 5 Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. 6 Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience. 7 Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!— 8 harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. 9 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. 10 Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith. 11 Now, in these last sentences, I want to emphasize in the bold scrawls of my personal handwriting the immense importance of what I have written to you. 12 These people who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive: They want an easy way to look good before others, lacking the courage to live by a faith that shares Christ’s suffering and death. All their talk about the law is gas. 13 They themselves don’t keep the law! And they are highly selective in the laws they do observe. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side. That is contemptible! 14 For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. 15 Can’t you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! 16 All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of G od—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them! 17 Quite frankly, I don’t want to be bothered anymore by these disputes. I have far more important things to do—the serious living of this faith. I bear in my body scars from my service to Jesus. 18 May what our Master Jesus Christ gives freely be deeply and personally yours, my friends. Oh, yes!

Devotion:
Your day is over and you are exhausted. The only thing on your mind is getting home and relaxing with your family, or spending a moment alone with a good book. This time of year, perhaps watching a little March Madness is on your evening agenda. Just as you are pulling out of the parking lot at work, an elderly gentleman is stumbling on the corner sidewalk and appears confused. This is the moment. Decision time. Do you pretend you didn’t see him or do you stop and offer your assistance?
There are so many of these moments, in different varieties, throughout each of our daily lives. I sometimes struggle with continuing to do good, especially when I’m tired and I feel like I’ve done “good” all day. Perhaps it’s someone else’s turn? This scripture reminds me not to think that God is fooled by all my “good” deeds. He wants me to continue to stay faithful to the fact that I know he expects me to make the right choice, and not to become fatigued in doing good. I need to get rid of my selfishness and pride, and instead allow my actions to reflect to what I know God wants for my life, allowing his Spirit to lead me. I’d like to have a lot more to show for my life than weeds!

Prayer:
God, please help me to see others as you see them. Help me to be sensitive to their needs. I confess that I sometimes allow pride and selfishness to creep into my life. Please forgive me for this, and help me to replace these thoughts with your love and compassion, allowing me to bless the lives of other people. Thank you for being a God of forgiveness and grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.