Twin City church of Christ Blog
“Jan 24, 2024 - What Spiritual People Do”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsWhat Spiritual People Do
Reading: Galatians 6:1-5
There is much talk in our time about spirituality. People insist that they are “spiritual but not religious,” usually with nebulous definitions. Christians are to be a spiritually-minded people because we follow the things the Holy Spirit has revealed. But what do spiritual people do? “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ”(Gal 6:1-2). Spiritual people help restore a brother who is caught in sin. This is the hard work of difficult conversations, regular follow-up, late-night phone calls, prayer, and tears that accompanies putting a brother back together after he has done wrong. Spiritual people are not those who live aloof from others and their problems; we are the people on the ground helping fix problems. We bear others’ burdens.
Paul is concerned that the Galatians feel that they are too good for this kind of work. He presses them not to be conceited (Gal 5:26), then warns that “if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself”(Gal 6:3). Our unwillingness to help others is actually a form of pride; we don’t want to dirty our hands or busy our schedules. This is not spiritual. “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”(Gal 6:4-5). There is a temptation to compare ourselves to others and boast that we look better (especially if we see our brother caught in sin), but this is merely a distraction from the fact that someday I will answer for my own actions and no one else’s.
Spiritual people show love by helping those in need—even if that need is a brother caught up in sin. Spiritual people humble themselves, acknowledging that they are no better. Spiritual people test their own work to see whether they are truly following God’s Spirit because they are constantly aware that someday they will be judged.
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One Thing to Think About: What are some burdens I can help others bear?
One Thing to Pray For: The courage to test my own spiritual life—not merely compare it to others’
