Viewing Ourselves Realistically

“For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.”

(Galatians 6:3-5 ESV)

 

We have a natural tendency to compare ourselves with others. We have a tendency to measure our success, and even our goodness, by comparing ourselves with one another. Even when we fall short, we tend to think highly of ourselves because we’re not as bad, because we’re not as sinful, as others.

 

This is true of us, even in the church. It’s true of us, who confess that we’re saved by the grace of God alone. It’s true of us who believe that we are, by nature, corrupt and deserving of God’s judgment.

 

In the two prior verses, Paul encouraged us to correct our erring brother, while keeping watch over ourselves. He encouraged us to bear one another’s burdens and, in this way, to fulfill the law of Christ. Yet, in the above verses, he recognizes how this tendency can come into play.

 

We can, in this way, unintentionally deceive ourselves. We can do so by thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought. We can do so by thinking that we’re something when, in reality, we’re nothing. And this, of course, can influence our behavior toward others.

 

It can lead us to look down our nose at our neighbor. It can lead us to a critical attitude of our neighbor. In fact, it can lead us to disassociate ourselves from them altogether.

 

Paul encourages us to test our own work. In essence, he’s calling us to a healthy self-examination. He’s calling us to give a sincere assessment of ourselves and our actions.

 

In this way, our reason to boast is not in our neighbor. We’re boasting not because our brother is more sinful than we are. We’re boasting not because our sister’s behavior makes us look good by comparison.

 

The reason for this, Paul says, is that each will have to bear his own load. Initially, this may seem to contradict his prior statement, in verse 2, where he says that we’re to bear one another’s burdens. However, it’s not contradictory in the least.

 

Paul is telling us that we will not be judged by the actions of others. We will not be judged in comparison to our brother or sister in Christ. We are responsible for our own behavior.

 

Realizing this will make us all the more willing to bear our brother’s burdens. It will do so because we’re not in competition with them. Our basis of comparison is not our brother. And, for this reason, we’ll desire nothing more than their repentance and faith in Christ.