Galatians 6:1-5

Galatians 6

•  ¹BRETHREN, IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, you who are spiritual [who are responsive to and controlled by the Spirit] should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also.
•     ²Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].
•     ³For if any person thinks himself to be somebody [too important to condescend to shoulder another's load] when he is nobody [of superiority except in his own estimation], he deceives and deludes and cheats himself.
•     ⁴But let every person carefully scrutinize and examine and test 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.
•     ⁵For every person will have to bear (be equal to understanding and calmly receive) his own [little] load [of oppressive faults].

Its been in pursuit of better health that I have seen one good development in myself, and its there in verse 4. I allowed myself to get fat and out of shape, because of comparing myself to others. In comparing myself to others I got discouraged because of those I felt were in better shape, or more talented than me, and I encouraged myself by comparing myself to those that were in worse shape than me, and didn't have the same talents as me.

At this point I have to think of my own personal best, and work toward improving that. I use "norms" to understand where I'm at. This is in the area of my health. But what is the "norm" in spiritual health?

In Ephesians we see that we are to be imitators of God, and that Christ Jesus himself is the one who came and lived a life that demonstrates this! Christ is whom we compare ourselves to, and whom we aspire to become like.

What's more encouraging is that we have the Holy Spirit as our coach to guide us in this process of becoming like him.

amen...