Galatians 5:26 “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
In working through the New Testament, a believer will learn numerous actions to do for and with other believers. I have identified at least 56 actions to do for and with one another. While there are not as many, a believer does need to know that there are some things we are not to do as we seek to relate and have community with one another. Galatians 5:26 will list 3 of those things we are not to do.
The Apostle Paul first commands the believer not to become conceited. To be conceited is to be arrogant and boastful.
A conceited person makes more of oneself while making little of others.
The conceited tell how great they are to make others feel inferior, feel smaller. The Bible (1 Thess. 5:11) teaches that we are to be building each other up yet this person is building themselves up. Do not be conceited!
A second thing we are not to be doing is provoking one another. The Bible does call on us to challenge (provoke – KJV) one another to do good works and to demonstrate love for one another (Hebrews 10:24) however, the idea of “provoking” in this context is to challenge to combat. It deals with comparison as one wants to prove they are better and more superior. Another way of describing this word is that a person doing this is picking on another person. Galatians 5:26 is saying, “Don’t pick on one another.”
Paul does not want believers building themselves up while pushing others down and he does not want believers picking on one another. Thirdly, he does not want believers to envy one another. The ultimate cause of the conceit and the provoking is coming from envy. Rather than discovering and developing what God has brought into a person’s life, this person looks out with longing eyes to have what others have. There is a lack of satisfaction that can become so bad that one not only wants what someone else has but can move to not wanting someone to have what they have. This is when things become dangerous.
As you consider the teaching of Galatians 5:26 about what you are not to be and not to be doing, what areas do you need to be putting a stop to? Read again Galatians 5:26 as it says, “Let us not become conceited (proud, building oneself up, more about self and less about others), provoking (challenging, picking on) one another, envying (not satisfied, desiring to have what others have while desiring others did not have) one another.”
How will you implement, and apply not doing these things in your daily living?
Continue Strong Not Doing Somethings
And remember to DATE the Word