(Galatians 6:4,5 NLT) Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing to look at The Law given under Moses vs. the Grace provided by Jesus. In our last message we learned about the Grace that is on our lives to help our brothers and sisters in Christ. After reminding us of how we are supposed to act towards our fellow laborers in the Gospel, in today’s text Paul brings the focus back to us.
Paul said, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. When God blesses you with a position, you must also know that He has given you the grace to do whatever is required of you in the position.
2. God gives you access to His supernatural power and ability by His grace. When you tap into God’s grace you will be able to do what you could not do without God.
3. When you focus on your own race, and you don’t frustrate yourself with comparisons to others, you are able to freely accept and enjoy the grace of God that is on you to do what God has called you to do.
4. When you run your own race, with your own grace, you will experience a level of satisfaction and internal peace that will keep you from worrying about comparisons to others.
5. Other people have their own race, with their own grace. Don’t waste time comparing yourself to them. Just run your race, with your grace, and you will enjoy the life God birthed you to have.
6. One day you will stand before God and He will want to know what you did with the life He gave you. He will measure your life against the purpose He designed for you before the foundations of the world. He won’t measure your life against someone else’s purpose. God will only measure your life against your own purpose. That is why you can’t waste time attempting to be someone else. Your job is to FIND, FOLLOW and FINISH the purpose God destined you to have, before you die.
7. You only have grace to be YOU! So be the best YOU that YOU can be!
8. Whatever God expects you to do, He has already equipped (given you the grace) to do. But whatever He equips you to do, He also expects you to do.
9. If it is true that God will not allow you to face something you cannot handle — or in other words, something you don’t have the grace to face — then it must also be true that if you are facing it, you can handle it. In you are facing it, no matter how big “it” seems, you can take it! God has already given you the grace to face it! If you did not have grace for it, you would not be facing it!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for loving me enough to make plans for me before the foundations of the world. I am not a mistake. I am Your workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which were written before the world began. I was born in sin, without Your Holy Spirit in me, and I had no way of knowing what my purpose in life was. But thankfully You sent people to me, to preach the Gospel message, and I accepted the message. I have been Born-Again, Your Holy Spirit now lives in me, and He reveals Your Kingdom plans and purposes to me. While He has not revealed it all to me, He is revealing things to me little-by-little, and the more He reveals and the more light He gives me, the more I am able to walk in. You lead me by Your Spirit to do things I know I cannot do without You. This puts me in a position to rely on You and the Grace You have given me. Without Your Grace I cannot accomplish Your purpose. But with Your Grace I can. If You are leading me to do it, then I know You have already given me the Grace to do what I know I cannot do in the natural. So I live my life everyday being led of Your Spirit to do what You have destined me to do. I run my race, with Your Grace, and I know I only have the Grace to be me. I don’t waste time comparing myself to other people, because they have their own race, with their own grace. You have called me and Graced me to be ME. Therefore, I will be the best ME I can BE, but even then, it will not be me doing it, but Your Grace that is ON me, IN me, WITH me and FOR me! I am who I am by Your Grace and Your Grace towards me shall not be in vain! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
