Be Careful What You Get Good At

Galatians 5:1,2,3 Stand fast means to have confidence in and be determined to be immovable. I can do this with the liberty God has given me. It’s not just enough to be in compliance. If I am bound to this compliance and following the law is my only concern and I do this without love, I have a problem. Be careful what you are good at! Doing Christian acts and going through the motions becomes heavy if your heart isn’t in it.

Stand fast so you don’t get entangled by following the law without faith. Rules and the laws are not our salvation.

Galatians 5:13,14,15,16,17 The liberty is to serve and love others, not to please myself. Salvation is not a self-centered life. How do I want others to treat me? Do I show grace, mercy, and kindness? Or am I judging, casting doubt, criticizing, or creating a fear toward others?

This will feel like a trial or entanglement unless the Spirit guides out of love and gratitude; this is liberty.

Galatians 5:19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26 This list describes fruits of a certain kind of spirit: lack of self control, putting something before God, disgust, being prone to quarrel, contentious, strong and fierce jealousy, violent and quick anger, gossip, and consumed by envy.

“Be angry and sin not” doesn’t mean it’s okay to be always angry. I need to call these weaknesses what they are or I will continue in them. Pleasing myself can hinder me from being good at what I should be good at in the Kingdom.

Am I good at judging others? Am I good at being too busy to help? Comparing? Having a lack of self control? Sarcastic remarks? Doing whatever I want, regardless of how it affects others? Am I entangled in a personality trait that is causing harm? God can give liberty.

None of the fruits of the Spirit are self-centered. I have the liberty to love, have peace, be gentle, show goodness, be kind, show control in difficult situations, and have hope. Am I good at having peace? And being long-suffering? There is no law - no limit - against these fruits.

If I want to show these fruits, God has power to help me display them. If I decide that this is what I want, I can take action. I can be who I say I am going to be. When I have an opportunity to do otherwise, I can choose to be kind. This involves daily active choices. If I say “we’ll see what happens,” I will struggle.