| “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” – Galatians 5:26 |
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| These are THINGS NOT TO DO In working through the New Testament, a believer is going to learn numerous actions to DO for and with other believers. I have identified at least 56 actions to do for and with one another. See https://datetheword.com/56-christ-like-actions-to-do-4-others/. While there are not as many a believer does need to know 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. It makes more of oneself while making little of others. Maybe we should read that again. Being conceited makes more of oneself while making little of others. WOW! One loves to tell about HOW GREAT THEY ARE and they do so in a way that makes 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 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 526 says, “Don’t PICK ON one another.” Paul does not want the believer building themselves up while pushing others down and he does not want believers to be picking on one another, and thirdly, he does not want believers ENVYING 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 what you are not to be and not to be doing with Gal 5:26 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 not have it) one another.” Verse to DATE the Word on May 26 (5/26) is Galatians 5:26. It says, “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” How will you implement, and apply NOT DOING THESE THINGS in your daily living? Continue Strong NOT DOING SOME THINGS And remember to DATE the Word |