More already?!?!

Gal 6:4
But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and tet his own conduct and his own work. He can then have the personal satisfaction and joy of doing something commendable [in itself alone] without [resorting to] boastful comparison with his neighbor.

Mind your own business, Jess. This is almost sounding like a contradiction to 6:1, ya know! "Help your brother" and all!

Go God!

Verse 3 was talking about how you have to be humble to have any effect or influence on others. This applies to helping them carry their burdens if you are willing to change your heart to be fully after God like a hound after a fox. As I examine my life carefully as verse 4 directs, there will always be something I could better. But when the Lord gives you a command, and you obey, there is nothing to boast about except God's work.

My personal application:
I consider one of my ministries to be leading worship. As a member of that worship team, anything I do on that stage is my "conduct" and "work" (from vs 4). If I scrutinize, examine, and test what I do and do it striving for excellence (my absolute best and all) WHILE RESTING IN GRACE, then the result will be my best for the Lord. This will cause satisfaction and Joy in me. This will shun comparisons and strife in myself and with others whether they be band mates or my church family.

*I think it important to note that the Lord is teaching about resting in His perfect grace while plunging into all he has me to do. There is literally NO room for personal boasting doing it this way.

As a result of the above situation, I won't have an unholy opinion of myself (verse 3), I'll demonstrate grace and God's complete work naturally (verse 2) and if a member is struggling, I will be in a position where they can share their burden and they will be open to receive from God through me. My heart will be in the right place AND my demonstration of God's grace that I am naturally doing by keeping my heart open to hear Him will encourage repentance in my brethren (verse 1).

I have to stress that this is not done by determining myself to do it. It is done because I surrendered to the Lord, He told me to do it, and I merely obeyed. This isn't some kind of equation that will work everytime, it is just something I found true for me. Listening to and obeying God is NEVER wrong.

From Bondage: I will learn good principles and force them upon you...
To Freedom: I will do all I do in excellence so if you need me, you'll trust me to have the right answer...