Week 35~ Galatians
6:3-5
‘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.’
How many times do we try to deceive ourselves?
How does self-
deception make us feel?
Chances are that there have been many occasions when we
practiced self-deception, some relatively minor and others highly significant,
however the probability is that we were left feeling short-changed and guilty,
ashamed, embarrassed or suffering with another negative emotion. Why? Because we cannot feel glorious if we are fooling
ourselves- just think about athletes who take steroids. Many of them didn’t
wish to in the first place but eventually talked themselves into it knowing
that they cannot enjoy true glory when they cheat the system.
We are all unique so it is important to celebrate our
individuality rather than trying to emulate others which may occur due to
a lack of self-confidence or self-love. There are times when it is good
practice to learn from the best, particularly in relation to sports or other
professions but this has to be with a goal in mind and not just a copy- cat
move.
When you know yourself you can be yourself! Obvious but not
always easy. We start life in our families and core communities however, as we develop
free thinking and the art of questioning, we are able to change- sometimes
quite fundamentally. This is when we start to reach maturity and form our true
identity. At this time we can be proud of who we are and continue to progress
through life’s journey.
How do we test our own actions?
We always have a sense of right or wrong emanating from our
gut reactions. We have instinct and intuition. When we do things, how does that
action make us feel and what are our guidelines? You need something to measure
against in order to test and this may well be our moral code. Are we honest
with ourselves? Are we doing something for the right reasons or to create a
stir? Questioning is a good test to use before we do something- what, how, why
and expected results. If we accept our answers and they match up with our
personal code of practice, then we can go ahead: if not, the anticipated course
of action needs revising. We can only be proud of ourselves when we endorse our
standards, otherwise we compromise our opinions and are dishonest with
ourselves and others.
How often do we think more of ourselves than we should? It
can be easy to convince ourselves that we are right, our opinion is the best
opinion therefore everyone should listen to us. If you put yourself on a pedestal
be careful in case you lose your balance and topple over! This ties in with the end
of these verses. We cannot see other people’s burdens or have a true awareness
of their situation or feelings. Empathy- yes, but not a full understanding
because we all see and experience everything differently. Our burdens are of a size and shape that suits
us because we are individual. We have our own weight limit which cannot be
exceeded! We can help ease one another’s burdens but cannot remove them- God is
the person who can alleviate them for us. So go about your daily life with a
real sense of self and act accordingly, always trying to be the best you can be
with honesty and integrity for that is the road to a more peaceful existence.
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