“For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.” (Galatians 6:3–4, ESV)
In a book that I intend to write someday about the pastoral ministry, I will include a chapter called “The Monkey in the Middle,” referring to a kid’s game where two children throw another’s object back and forth trying to keep the other for catching it. It is a situation that often happens when two parties in the church come at odds with each other.
The scenario goes like this. One party goes to the pastor and states so and so did this. Deal with it. The pastor then unwisely goes to the offending one in order to deal with the issue. However, the offending one retorts that the other party actually created the problem. In this scenario the pastor has become the monkey in the middle running back and forth between two offending parties.
Eventually the wise pastor remembers that the biblical way to resolve a problem between two Christians is to have them sit down together in Christian love to resolve the issue. Right! This is how it should work, but in my experience it rarely happens.
So, in a typical situation, here is what happens in this meeting. One side is unwilling to forgive. The other side is unwilling to admit that their actions, whether right or wrong, hurt the other party, and will not express remorse for the hurt they caused.
The problem here is one of pride. Yes, this is what happens when two proud people have an issue with one another. When they meet it is like two male Dall sheep butting heads over ewes during the mating season. Eventually one leaves but both have a headache. Moreover, the animosity between the two people has not been resolved.
This is not the way of the “law of Christ.” Pride kills the fulfillment of the “law of Christ,” that is the law of love. Neither party is willing to step back from their prideful position to that of humility, which will manifest itself in love.
This is the point of Paul’s words here, “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” To fulfill the law of love in restoring a fallen brother, or helping one through a trying situation of any sort, one cannot be conceited. One cannot think that they are above it all and look down upon the other person. The spiritual person, the one led by the Spirit, does not carry such prideful attitudes.
Paul goes on to say, “But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.” In other words, spiritual people will have a humble opinion of themselves. They will realize that they need to approach every situation in a Christ like manner, and that they also have their own struggles and imperfections. They will realize that reconciliation, restoration, and love for one another is Christ’s goal for every member of His church.
It behooves every believer to examine themselves, asking these questions before confronting or trying to help one carry a heavy load. “Am I acting as a spiritual person should? Am I displaying the fruit of the Spirit in my life?” For if you are not led by the Spirit, you cannot fulfill “the law of Christ” in handling any situation with another person.
Renewing the Heart 